Wapo Taco, Hallandale, FL...again! Place is almost too EXCELLENT!!!

I have to start this one off with the picture of their two beautiful cones.  One is pork, the other is chicken.  They are pretty much equally excellent, not good, excellent.  There really is no place like this one.  It is something really, really special.  These guys don't just get it, they force other people to get it.  How can you argue with dueling cones?  It is just awesome to see.  I needed this, I needed this bad.  I've experienced so much bad pastor in the last week plus that it has made me depressed.  This made it all better.  It was a hug from grandma, you know that hug that just makes you feel like its all going to be OK.

Here is the napkin dispenser.  We are doing this photo next so that you know how to eat tacos.  I love this thing.  Josh and I kept reading it and enjoying it along with the decor of the restaurant.  The new menu, by the way, is amazing!  They did three months of research on what the guest really wanted and that is the menu.  They condensed it and went by the rule of doing great things rather than trying to do everything and falling short somewhere.  Let me again repeat, they did not fall short anywhere.

These guys are monsters.  They are always working and working hard with smiles on their faces.  The people that work there make you feel so good as they are always smiling and seem to really enjoy being there as much as I do, and if you can't tell, I love being there.  The owners are in the thick of it and working.  They are leading the charge of excellence that this place portrays in every interaction with the guest and in every dish.  Lets go over what they are creating...

Here is where it all started for us.  Two tacos each.  We had to go pastor, one chicken, one pork each.  We really weren't that hungry, we just needed good pastor, but instead we came here for excellent pastor.  They don't overwhelm you with pineapple, but you get it.  It is the perfect balance of sweetness.  They cut from the cone right into your tortilla.  It is like milk straight from the cow, it really doesn't get better and trust me, I know.  We were done here.  We were ready to head out.  We have been working all day and were pretty full.  We were chatting with the owners and they told us we had to try their Carne Asada with cheese tacos.  We reluctantly said yes to this.

Wow.  I didn't think it could be this good.  We each took our first bite after this photo.  After a solid 6 minutes of crying from happiness, we were able to finish these amazing tacos.  It is something like you've never tasted.  It is flavors that melted together like nothing else.  Grilled fresh jalapeno that are nicely sliced by hand, avocado, cilantro, onion, oh my goodness, I'm about to drive back up there and I'm still full.  Their food is seriously second to none.  They really don't take a back seat.  At the end of this, we were done.  Josh was finishing his juice, I couldn't even take another sip of water, we were going to grab our tab and head to the hotel.  Apparently we weren't leaving without dessert.

I don't know what they call it on the menu, but it is like tacos dorados.  It is their version of a hard shell taco.  This is what I love about this place and these guys.  Guests want hard shell tacos.  They take their delicious homemade tortillas, grill them hard and serve them like this.  Josh and I each had one and a half.  Oh my goodness they were so tasty.  So perfect.  This is the kind of dessert that I will eat.  At this point there was only one thing that we could do, loosen our belts, smile and take a selfie of happiness.

These are two of the happiest tacoteers that you might ever see.  We loved this place, we loved this meal.  We will be back.  There is a second location coming soon in Coral Gables, you better believe that I am going to make it there.  You better believe that I'm excited more people will experience this place.  It just works.  You can grab a beer with friends and co-workers in a comfortable environment, you can take your wife, girlfriend or potential girlfriend on a date here and you are comfortable.  Ambiance is great, food is amazing, it is just comfortable.

Thanks for the reads, re-tweets, re-posts and for checking us out in general.  I did not rate this place since I have before.  Let me make it easy for all of you, they get a 5 on everything.  Their people, their food, perfect today, as it was the last time that I came.  I look forward to my next trip to the area to be able to go back and check these guys out again.  Josh was saying the same.  He loves the place, we both were saying these really might be the best tacos we've ever had and it really might be one of the coolest, best restaurants that we've ever been to.  After the tough run that we've had in Miami, this was such a relief and it brought us to our taco happy place.  If you need a great laugh, read the blog from the other day about Mr Taco.  Place was a burn and you get introduced to BIG HUNGRY, a new tacoteer on the blog. That blog is almost the antithesis of this one.

If you're not following the Order on Twitter or Instagram, check us out, easy to find Order of the Taco!  It'll keep you up to date on where we are, what we are eating and if you are missing out or if you should stay away and run for cover.

Every so often, the goodbye/gratuitous photo is of me.  Today it is a shot that Josh got of me inside the door of Wapo Taco. It sums me and my love for tacos up pretty darn well.  Josh has nailed some pretty cool photos of us Tacoteering, but I will say that I do like this one.

Stay Excellent!

Taco Beach Shack, Hollywood Beach, FL

I think when you drive by, you know whats up.  Met up with Kreg, the General Manager for The Counter in Aventura, FL.  It was dinner time after a long trip.  I was flying out of Miami early the next day, but before I left, taco time.  Still recouping from a rough taco bout in New Jersey, I was in need of great tacos.  I was pining for a California taco.  I settled, happily for some true Florida beach tacos.  This place epitomizes Florida tacos and bars.  It was pretty cool.  So cliche that I was laughing and entertained by the women in roller blades that were going up and down the street.

I know, I almost went to the Greek place across the street.  It looked good.  I could go for a great Gyro right about now.  But, back to this taco place.  They are pretty interesting, pretty strong following.  The location is fantastic.  They do live music and all of the things that you can imagine should be done in a Florida beach restaurant.  Here's the ugly, the pricing.  I think it was a bit high.  That's fine, it works for them, but not so much for me.  The parking is horrid.  I mean really damn horrid.  It is non existent.  The bar that they have is awesome.  They have some great local brews and some neat craft beers on tap.  The bartender was awesome.

The set-up of this place is great, have I said that?  If I had a Florida restaurant with my name on it, I'd want this set-up.  The menu for here is pretty neat.  They stick with what you should probably expect for Florida Tacoteering.

I know, I need to come back and hit up $1 tacos for happy hour!  That is the way to do it.  Kreg and I got a variety of stuff and just attacked and shared.  We had some pretty interesting stuff.  Here is the menu opened up if you want to see all that they have.

RATINGS:
BRISKET: 1, this was tough, not very good.  I was disapointed to say the least.  They advertise as a 12 hour smoke, but that can't be right, or they have way too much heat on that meat, it was really tough, flavorless, no smoke ring, I'll just stop, I don't want this to turn into a burn.
SHRIMP: 5, this was about as nicely done as you can get with a shrimp taco.  The mango salsa was on point.  It was a great find that I'm happy I got to be a part of.
MAHI: 3, it is what you would expect.  It was good, but nothing amazing.  We went with the regular Mahi because it was grilled.  If you get the "Baja Style" it will be deep fried.
CHICKEN: 4, this might have been the surprise of the day for me.  It was great.  Nicely grilled chicken that was well seasoned, tender and damn tasty.
CALAMARI: 4, yes.  This was good.  This was right on point, lightly battered, fried, but tender and great.  Very happy with this selection.
KOREAN SHORT RIB: 3, this would have been a 4, but was just a bit too sweet for my beard and me.  It was good, I would say order it, but don't get overly excited like I did.
SALSA: 3, it was pretty run of the mill.  Not bad, not great.
HABANERO SALSA: 4, oh I liked this almost too much.  Very good stuff.  Nicely done.  It was good, spicy, creamy and delicious.
GUACAMOLE: 2, please don't waste your time with this.  It is just not good.  Full of filler, missing the citrus.  Yeah, no bueno!

That is the spread, not too bad.  This trip was a long time coming.  Kreg spent four weeks in SoCal, but my travel schedule and work prevented us from going Tacoteering together.  We wanted to go when I was in Florida a few weeks ago, but we were crazy busy getting his restaurant open.  We finally went and it was a blast.  Heck of a restaurateur and I'm glad we were able to catch up and enjoy some tacos.  Check this place out, it is worth it.  The ambiance is great, the food is good, the beer selection is on point.  Today's goodbye photo is Kreg and me.

Stay Excellent!

http://www.tacobeachshack.com/

Salsa Fiesta, Aventura, FL

This is almost a different blog today.  Why?  Because it has to fit the spot.  Salsa Fiesta, it is a fresh, all natural, good for you kind of taco place.  Lets really get to it, did I love the place, no.  But its because it was not what I'm looking for.  Let me tell you something, the people that work here are the nicest, most knowledgeable, genuine people.  The place is clean.  It is really something.  This is the kind of place that I'd take a wife on a date to if she wasn't cool enough to like taquerias.  It is a bit yuppy for my palate.  Let me say that this is a great starter place if you are just beginning your taco journey to taco excellence.  I have minimal pictures.  I have few things to really say, it wasn't bad, but just not my cup of tea.  Why did I go?  Why am I writing about it?  The following.  The people of Aventura LOVE this place, and it makes sense if you know the people who live here.  There is a ton of money, there is a certain person who lives here and this place really fits the bill for them.  So for that, I say nicely done.  The menu is cool, lots of options, too many for a cilantro and onions guy like me:

I want to point out that this was a quick bit for lunch, I'm planning on more Tacoteering this evening.  I've been working non stop, no days, nights off, many things to do, the taco release is what I need.  If I were to go back, I'd probably hit up the nachos.  I saw a few other people eating them, they look pretty damn rad.  They look like the thing that you go share with your old lady for a good time.  So, why the necessary Tacoteering?  I've been everywhere and just flew down here from New Jersey, and I will go Tacoteering again in NJ, but just couldn't do it the week after my last few NJ visits.  I'm seriously pining for some Los Angeles, CA Tacoteeering with the crew.  I need me some Monstrosity, some Brandon, Chris, Paulie, Nate, James, Mike, everyone!  I need the taco masters that I know and eat with.  I need to go sneak away with Ramon, Amber, Phil and Shinho and enjoy some tacos.  Yeah, I'm jonesing for those experiences right now.  Maybe a romantic Tacoteering date with the wife?  Quick trip with the kids or Papou?  Alright, enough, lets talk about this Salsa Fiesta.  The concept is hip and cool.  I love their accent wall.  I love skulls and the sugar skull thing is cool.  Makes me think of some cool friends that love them, yes, I'm talking about my opening buddies Bethany and Alisha:

Sweet to look at while you eat.  The decor is badass in here.  The window to see what they are doing in the kitchen is great.  Like I said, the staff here is second to none.  They are amazing.  I would go back just to learn the patience, knowledge, attentiveness and service that they so easily and naturally give.  Their salsa bar is way too clean and organized.  Way to pretty, but, like I said, it fits them.

So, they have this spicy cabbage, that is the purple stuff, eww.  It just tasted sour to me.  The other salsas were alright.  The jalapenos were not closely to evenly cut, but they were fresh and delicious.  I love the pickled and fresh option both on the salsa bar, I hit them both up.

RATINGS:
STEAK: 3, this would be great for nachos, not so much for a taco with corn tortillas.  A bit tough, not enough salt, but good quality meat.
CARNITAS: 3, yeah, it was ok.  It is not what I'm looking for, but it is tender, and they know how to cook pork.  Here's the thing, it is sweet.  A bit sweet for me, but I'm sure that it would please the masses and for that, I commend you.
FISH: 4, I really like their grilled Mahi!  This is tender, good fish.  It is a very fair portion and if I had gotten three fish tacos, I'd probably have loved this place.  If you are getting tacos, get the MAHI!  Yummy!!!
ROASTED SALSA: 3, it was really run of the mill, nothing special.

Too many fancy thing for the Order of the Taco.  Too much cheese, too much lettuce, too much fancy stuff.  I'm a simple Tacoteer, searching for a simple taco.  Go to this place.  If I can tell you one thing, it may not be my type of place, but the people and the ambiance are solid.  Check it out.  Their location in Aventura is solid.  The people are amazing, the food is great if you like yuppy type of places.  For me, I'll stick to the little taco spots that fit The Order of the Taco.  Enjoy date night here, and I'll see you soon in another blog, I'm going Tacoteering right now with my good friend and colleague, Kreg Kimmonds.  Thanks for reading and enjoy today's gratutious photo.  It is of three of the people that I think of the most.  I was going to put a pic of me on there, but in the words of a great friend, the famous Jeremy Phillips, "more tacos, less selfies."  Three kids that I work so hard for and that I am so lucky to have in my life, Alexander (Smoky), Eleni (The Troll) and Jason (The Juggernaut):

http://salsafiestagrill.com/web/
Stay Excellent!

The Taco Spot, Hollywood Beach, FL

So, this place sure is not in Los Angeles, CA.  This place is pretty cool.  Do I love it, no.  Will I go back, yeah, I will when I'm in the area.  It was good.  Not amazing but good.  It was good for white people's tacos.  There were three things that were really great, the service, the company I was with and the ambiance.  Yeah, we were sitting outside on chairs that are comfortable outdoor furniture.  Here is what we saw the whole time:

Yes, Mr Moon over the Atlantic Ocean.  This was taken by the beautiful Fo while we were sitting in our seats.  It really was comfortable.  The view really was nice.  The company was great.  Nikki P from NYC, Fo from Atlanta, Christian from DC, and Alisha from LA were stranded for extra days with me in Florida on this opening.  We shot out for dinner.  Long days, we were all hungry and we decided Tacoteering was the best way to go.  We were right.  Here is a picture of the great folks:

Yes, Christian has the creepy look in the pimping jacket, Fo has the winning smile, Nikki is trying to book a flight out and Alisha is texting someone, I guess.  What a great group.  Don't worry, Fo took a selfie of all of us, get excited for that one later.  More about the place.  I called to check it out, the people were so nice.  The waitress was most righteous.  Her name was Adriana.  She is a very nice young lady and did an amazing job.  I would love to work with someone who like her.  Very attentive and a master of her craft.  Restaurateurs are amazing people, she is one of them.  Really, the people who work there are great.  They're not as great as the people who work at The Counter, but they were pretty good.  The menu is pretty good, but not great.  It's not great because there is a bunch of stuff that they have not on there.  Not a few things, but a ton of things.  There was a number of tacos, but they are not on the menu.

That is their menu.  There it is, pretty exciting right?  Ok, it's not that exciting, but it is alright.  Let me say, these combos are the way to go.  They will allow you to mix tacos on the combo, they come with two, it is pretty cool.  I dig that.  They just charge you for the higher priced taco, that is cool.  Lets just get to what you want to know, the ratings:

RATINGS:
CORN: 2, here's the thing, they are famous for this.  At least that is what they say.  It is slightly over grilled and then they drown it in Parmesan cheese, but the nasty, over produced kind.  Don't get excited by this lie.  It is not all that good.
CARNITAS: 2, this is like very white people's carnitas.  It is okay, over seasoned, over cooked, not the slow cooked goodness that is carnitas.  They do put a ton of salt on this stuff, so be prepared.
CHICKEN: 2, why did I not call it pollo?  Because it is not pollo.  It is poorly grilled chicken.  It had no flavor and was cut way too big for tacos, I mean come on people!
KOREAN SHORT RIB: 4, creativity alone gives you at least a point here.  I have had Korean Short Rib Tacos, these were not too bad.  Nice use of brown sugar and salt.  They did ok on the meat, but the sauces on this taco were second to none.  They really were good.  One of the folks I got to eat with got the sauces on the side and they were really amazing.
TEMPURA SHRIMP: 4, yeah, no typo there!  Yum, yum gimme some.  This was a treat and a half right here.  I have no complaints.  It was tender, good, nicely battered and fried.  Very encouraging.  I was so happy that Adriana recommended this.
SALSAS: 4, creative with nice variety, not enough spice for the big guy, but still tasty enough to be above the scale.
PINEAPPLE JALAPENO: 3, yeah, this should start so sweet and finish so hot, it did not, but was good.  Paired with the right taco, you are in for a treat, enjoy it.
JALAPENO: 4, ok, very different from the normal jalapeno salsa, but delicious.  Very delicious.  This was some great stuff that I would enjoy on my taco eggs in the morning and my lunch tacos and my dinner tacos.
HABANERO: 3, this was WAY too mild.  The flavor was good, but for sure the weakest as far as impressions in the bunch, very sad.
SEVEN CHILI: 4, the complexity made this happen.  Not as spicy as I would have liked, but good.  It was deep with layered flavors and was very nice to enjoy on all of their tacos.

Looks pretty good right?  No, it kind of doesn't, yeah, those are all flour tortillas.  There is the "corn" option, but its not on the menu and I looked at what they were calling "corn" tortillas and it was scarier then a fat guy in a thong.  Beans and rice were alright, but not Salsa and Beer good for sure.  I promised a selfie, so here it is without further a due:

What a great group.  We did have some real fun.  It was great just chatting, catching up.  We've all been working such crazy days and hours together but haven't spoken.  My beard and I really enjoyed everyone.  Lets caption this.  Fo: I love selfies!  Z: Just another taco picture.  Z's Beard: I just want to get back to eating tacos.  Alisha:  Camera?  I love being in photos!  Nikki:  Yo, I'm Nikki P from Staten Island Representin!  Christian:  Wow, I love Z's beard. We took a picture of all of us with the waitress in front of the restaurant.  The guy who took it was not too sharp, it didn't come out great, but here you go:

My beard is so hidden in this photo.  It is sad.  It represents so well.  Another day, another great adventure, another taco.  Couple more days here, then back to LA for a week and a half then Tacoteering takes itself to New Jersey.  Yeah, you read that one right, bring it on Garden State!

A few things, before I go, thank you as always for re-tweets, re-posts, reading, telling your friend, family members, enemies and co-workers.  Before I say goodbye, and remind you of what I'd like you to do like I do every blog, you get one more gratuitous photo, this time, it is of Fo:

Stay Excellent!

From the Beginning...Olvera Street

What makes a story great?  What really grasps your attention?  In my humble opinion, it's the beginning.  It is how it is started out.  Just like when we meet someone and we decide whether or not we like them, the story has to start strong.  I don't know if this is going to be a strong start, but here is the beginning of Tacoteering.  The next few posts will hopefully illustrate not just how we started, but how everything led to a great trip in San Diego and all that happened along that journey, thanks for reading.

I know, two strapping young lads.  Good friends from back then, nothing has changed.  My large head, yes, I'm the darker haired one, is blocking the sign for Olvera Street.  Olvera street is where many say Los Angeles started.  No, we were not the ones who founded Olvera Street, but we went as children and ate tacos.  I'm told that this day was to purchase a top for a baptismal cake for Chris's younger sister Melissa Chan.  Introduction time, I'm the guy in all black, the guy next to me is Christopher Randall.  He's big Chris, I'm little Chris.  We are close in age, but he is older.  He is a friend who I've been lucky enough to always have.  We've been eating tamales and tacos since we were quite young, as you can see.  He is an original member and has gone on each of our Great Excursions.  We have been through about everything together as friends, I value his opinion and thoughts as much as anyone.

Here are some pictures of them:

Pandy and Dave, Big Chris's parents, they are so awesome.

Marie and Peter, my parents, they are pretty excellent.
What brought us to doing these excursions?  Just our appreciation for friendship and excellence.  We are lucky enough to have great families that enjoyed doing things together, whether it was a large group going to Lake Tahoe for a week, getting together at a house for a weekend party or just heading out somewhere like this day so that no one had to endure the tedious or big things in life alone.  Great example from our parents, Pandora/Dave Randall and Marie/Peter ZaferisWe have worked the Valley Greek Festival for years together, here is Chris and I with two other members of the order last year.

So yeah, we try to all do as many things together as possible.  I hear some folks that think it is all crazy.  We are busy, we have lives, jobs, responsibilities, but we all enjoy each other's company.  Last weekend, we had a party the night before the trip and a few member were all there and we were hanging out.  Here is a picture of double trouble.  Double Christopher, Double Michael.  Chris and I are the two that look like us, the other two are Mike and Mike.  Mike is one of my closest friends, you've seen his picture, you know he's Jason's Nouno.  The other guys is Alexander's Nouno and my cousin Michael.  Very lucky to have them in our lives.

Why the various pictures?  Here's why, it is to paint the picture that we all do things together for the fun.  For the thrill of it all.  Do we have tacos every time?  Yeah, pretty much.  So here's how it began.  Friendship, love for tacos.  Its not a glamorous story, it is ours and dammit, I think its perfect.  We have so many adventures, so many stories, we all just want to hang out, do things together and we love getting tacos.  Our adventures are written about because we never know what is going to happen.  San Diego was a crazy trip.  It took us through different areas, familiar, but different.  It led us to some craziness.  Unexpected great times.  In the end, it was about who we were with more then anything else.  I'm really lucky to be able to write about these stories and share the great adventures that we have.  We have no script, no high budget, just plain old fashion fun.  I hope this gives a slightly better history for you about where Tacoteering comes from.  Thanks for your time, please enjoy reading and Stay Excellent...

From left to right:  Big Chris (Randall), Little Chris (Me), Jeremy Phillips (Mike's Brother), Paul Zaferis (my brother), Mike Phillips (Jason's Nouno)

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