Manuelito's, Winnetka, CA

Well damn, it has been a really long time.  This is the first blog of 2016 and we are already in May!!  Outraged as I'm sure you are, sorry, I've been busy.  I have still been eating tacos, well, I've been eating a lot of them, but I have not bored you with the stories.  Prepare to get bored, here we go again.

I pass this place pretty often.  It is right next to the Smart and Final that is close to the bar.  I was running some errands, going to be at the bar all night and knew I needed a bite.  I got the burning urge to get some information for a blog.  So, I decided to try this spot and damn am I glad that I did.  They have all sorts of different options and meats, but keep it simple which if you read one of the old blogs which might as well be archives by now, you know I'm all about.

They have a larger menu, but I decided today was a hard focus on the tacos.  It has been a long time.  These guys do a nice job on their menu.  It is fair pricing, good looking food, nice pictures in the restaurant and I will say that my food looked just like the picture.  The kitchen is small and managable. The lady cooking knew her way around a kitchen and was pretty darn quick.  She looked like she was having some fun, but who wouldn't working in a great little restaurant like this?

I didn't realize until I posted this pic on here how blurry it is.  Why would I leave it up?  Well, it is the only pic that I have of the whole working area.  Plus it also shows you how inept I really am so you can laugh about me later, or now...I did not try the waters, but will on another visit.

Nice TV set-up with your favorite shows on Uni-Vision, that is always pretty cool. Decor is nice, appropriate and isn't too much in this place.  Tables/booths are nice.  They really fit and give it a good homey feel inside of this place.
RATINGS:
CABEZA: 3, this is not bad, not bad at all.  Don't let a 3 fool you.  This is a tasty treat.  It is well made, quality meat and delicious, it just didn't go above and beyond.
PASTOR: 3, again, not a bad choice, it just didn't make me say "wow" need this one right away.  It is good meat.  They season it well, it is solid, just not a mind blowing experience.
POLLO: 4, OK, this is a special chicken.  Not just well flavored, but really damn tender.  They know how to cook, how to hold, how to serve chicken, this is a taco you want to try if you are in the Valley.
LENGUA: 4, nice stuff here.  This is flavored well, served hot and nicely shredded.  I recommend this to lengua lovers everywhere.
TRIPA: 4, this is one of those that I had to revisit.  It was a 3, I went back and got it again, asked for it a little more crispy, wow!  This might be a 5 if it was that way the first time I had it.  They do a really nice job with the tripa and you want to go get this, ask for it crispy, you will NOT be disappointed.
ASADA: 4, yeah an above 3 asada.  This is some good stuff.  They didn't go cheap, they went good.  I was surprised their wasn't an up-charge.  If you are only into asada, you will like this joint.
CARNITAS: 4, this was on visit two.  Didn't get it visit one, what a mistake!  This is really good stuff, one of my favorite carnitas.  I want to go back and try again, hope they have some consistency!
SALSA BAR: 5, not all of the salsas were amazing, but there was not a bad one.  The variety was great and they have some amazing salsas!  I did not like their jalapenos, but they had the pickled onions, oregano, fresh lime and some amazing variety in the salsa department to make sure that anyone who comes in is satisfied.
TORTILLAS: 5, why would I rate tortillas?  They have regular ones which are good, they have handmade ones which are incredible.  They are some of the better ones I've ever had.  They are perfect in texture, flavor is good and they don't fall apart.  These guys know what they are doing and she presses them to order, it is worth the wait, I will only be getting the handmade going forward!

Hell of a spread here.  Yeah, I ate all of those in one sitting and I have no regrets, I was damn hungry!  The salsa like I said is solid.  The green with avocado is my favorite.  It is some good stuff.  I of course had my Crazy Harry's Gear with me.  You can look and see the handmade vs the store bought tortillas.  I can't say it enough, get the handmade!

This is that salsa bar that I've been bragging about.  Pretty epic looking right?  It does not disappoint at all.  You will be happy with at least two or three items on here, so get ready to party at the salsa bar.

This adventure was solo, but I'm going to start dragging people with me again soon.  These adventures are always more fun when there are more people with you.  Though the food was good, a great experience has awesome people there with you.  Hope you enjoyed an installment on a blog that's been quiet for a few months, thanks for sticking with me!

Today's goodbye/gratuitous photo is of my youngest son Jason and I at Knott's Berry Farm.  We went on Journey to the Iron Reef, 4 times that day.  It was his favorite as he liked shooting the bad guys.  I was impressed and proud that he beat adults on this one.  He has a hell of a shot and really had some fun, obviously so did I.  Sadly we had to turn the 3D glasses in before we left, I think it's a good look for us.

Stay Excellent!

Lola's Baja Taco's, Granada Hills, CA

Melissa has been bugging me about going to this place for a bit now.  I've had friends tag themselves there and have thought about it, I mean, I am a huge sucker for a fish taco.  Lola's is in one of those semi-awkward parking lots.  It is there, easy to find, but hard to find?  Anyways, we got there, it is just West of Balboa on Chatsworth if you are familiar with The Valley, then again, it is still on that corner even if you are not.

 I didn't realize how blurry this picture came out until I posted it on here, but you get the gist of the place.  Small, quaint, neat little joint.  Decor is simple, not over done so I really like it.  People working there are nice and they really seemed to be helping each other out a lot.

Don't really know what to call this.  Prep area?  Cooking table?  Finishing station?  They are preparing some of the food right there, really finishing off the toppings.  Presentation was lacking, but it didn't look too messy.  Usually a station like that is reserved for the back, they do things just a little different here.

Here's a quick shot at the menu.  It is a bit on the pricey side for San Fernando Valley tacos, but they do have some cool stuff that you aren't really going to find everywhere.  Good diversity, but I'm not sure if they know which direction they really want to go.  Small taco place that has great fish or great fish place that serves some tacos.  Beer and wine was missing.  I had a lot of water because everything came across as really salty to me, but a cold beer would have cut through nicely.  We went non meat on this trip to maximize what they seem to be pushing.  Looked around and didn't see anyone else eating meat.  I like that, eat what they focus on.

We jumped right in ordering their chips, salsa and guacamole.  Not too shabby.  It was a great first impression, but like I said and will say again, a bit salty for my palate.  Portion on these two were solid.  They gave you a nice amount, the chips they seem to fry to order and they season them while they are hot.
RATINGS:
BAJA FISH TACO: 2, this was kind of tasty.  Melissa loved it, I found it to have too much mayonnaise.  The slaw mixture was a bit much and I thought that the piece of fish was a bit too small for the price, but it wasn't horrible.  Rating is on my experience here, you might dig it!
SPICY TUNA: 5, this was my favorite here.  It is something that I would go back for without a doubt.  Spicy, flavorful, it was great spicy sushi meets a badass taco.  This is so easy to screw up, glad that they didn't.  Really nice all all accounts from taste, texture, smell, they did really well and you are making a mistake not going there to try this one.
POTATO: DON'T KNOW?,  hard to rate this one.  It is different.  I don't want to rate it low because it was good, but I can't rate it too high because I wouldn't order it again.  Quite confusing, you'll have to go and eat this one yourself!
SALSA: 4, this was a surprise.  They know what they are doing here and I strongly recommend that you try this salsa.  It is a great compliment to the guacamole.  Light spice to it, smooth texture but not runny, great for dipping your chips.
GUACAMOLE: 4, I liked it.  It was a bit chunky, I don't like it when it is whipped unless you are turning it into an aioli.  Texture was solid, flavor was good.  Got some salt, citrus, vegetables, pretty solid stuff here.  In the end it wasn't that it was that amazing, but it was a great compliment to this restaurant, well done.

Food is overall good.  Presentation is on point.  Everything was a bit salty for my liking, but that doesn't mean that you won't love it.  The hard shell taco was good, the tuna was pretty unreal, that is a well deserved 5.  This is a good date spot if you are introducing your significant other to tacos.  They are like transition tacos.  They are not bad, but I'm not running back to them.  It is hard, I love trucks and small taquerias but do understand that places like this can attract more taco eaters, which is a good thing.

Huge thanks for those of you who continue to follow and continue to read.  Sorry I have not been writing as much lately, I've been working the bar everyday, loving it, but busy there and doing consulting.  I have been eating tacos daily, obviously but haven't been writing about them as much. I can tell you that I miss it and there are more blogs to come from the Order of the Taco.  The gang has been chatting, we are going to get a trip together soon, look forward to that.  Get tacos if you are in the valley and come see me at the bar!

Today's goodbye/gratuitous photo is of the hot sauces on the table.  Strong showing, these guys are pretty good and know what they are doing.  If I didn't make it clear, check them out, they are worth it.  The goodbye photo is pretty hot...

Stay Excellent!

Tortas Ahogadas Las Originales, San Fernando, CA

Well this one has been a long time coming.  I've wanted to try this place, long lines, good reputation.  My thoughts are a bit mixed.  Don't get me wrong, I dig the joint, but they left some meats to be desired.  Will I go back?  Of course, I still haven't tried their Torta Ahogada which is their house specialty.

What a beautiful Sunday in Southern California!  The low clouds, cool air and rain were a nice change of pace for the area.  Brandon and I have been trying to get together for quite some time, finally, it happened.  This place has been on Brandon's radar for a while.  We've text back and forth about it, emailed about it.  He went in and scouted the place getting some pina not too long ago.  I have missed Brandon, he's been busy, I've been gone, it was good to finally catch up and hang out for a bit.

This place was totally packed.  The line did not subside at all.  People kept coming in.  They were staying to eat, taking food to go, every way to get food, people were on it.  The waters looked pretty solid, that is going to happen next trip.  Looking at the restaurant it looks like they expanded at some point and took over the place next to them.  The restaurant is pretty big, they need the space!

They had a pretty decent size crew that was working!  This team did not stop.  They were all quiet, heads down working.  They ran with two people on the grill the entire time and then had a slew of prep folks and were wrapping, plating and packaging food as efficiently as they could.  You can tell that they are use to being busy.  They communicated effectively and I appreciated seeing them work so well together.  There was a freaky power surge while I was there, you should have seen the people in there jump!

I dig the menu.  I now look at this picture and realize what a horrible job I did of taking it.  I would apologize, but that really is not my style.  Pretty darn good looking menu.  They have plenty, but not too much.  It is not a regular "cheap" taqueria, but it is not pricey by any means.  I am totally coming back for a Torta, like I said earlier.  They hit the basics, do some cool stuff and they don't overwhelm you with too many options.
RATINGS:
BUCHE: 2, this was a sad first bite at this place.  It was just not up to par.  It was a bit under cooked and tough.
LENGUA: 2,  this just did not hit me right.  They leave the tongue in bigger pieces, it did not absorb all of the flavor that I think it could have.  It was just not that great, I was a bit sad, but not for long.
SUADERO: 1, couldn't eat it.  Really couldn't eat it.  This was slimy, under cooked and not at all good.  I don't even want to talk about it.
PASTOR: 3, this was interesting.  This was really interesting.  I enjoyed this one.  Not off a cone, but tasty.  Lots of flavor.  Lots of clove.  Heavy on the aciote.  It is a pleaser that you will want to indulge in.
ASADA: 3, I liked this.  Without question, I would order this again.  It was pretty standard, but pretty great.  Don't miss out if you have a beef craving.
PIERNA: 5, slow clap for the surprise of this trip.  This stuff came out of no where.  I was done ordering and asked the guy if there was a taco I "had to order."  He pointed me towards this delightful meal.  WOW!  Really enjoyed this stuff.  It was very good.  It was sweet, spicy, loaded with layered flavors of cinnamon, cumin, clove and pepper.  I really enjoyed it!  It came out in red tortillas from cooking it on the flat top, ah man, you need to check this out.
POLLO: 3, I liked it.  It was tasty and not over cooked.  It was tender and tasty, but didn't have a layered depth or flavor that could bump it up a rating.
CHORIZO: 4, I really am not a chorizo fan.  I just don't care much for the stuff, but this one was good, really good.  It was not greasy at all and the flavors on it were tasty.  Worth a try!
CARNITAS: 3, this was pretty good operating standard right here.  Sweet, but not too sweet.  Tender, but not falling apart.  It was some really good stuff.  Check it out, it won't disappoint.

Good looking spread huh?  We took the food back to Brandon's for us to chow down on.  We couldn't even finish all of the food.  The tortillas were small but full.  They do a nice job.  As for to-go packaging, these guys were great.  They really did an amazing job.  They packaged everything nicely, wrapped it tight and everything stayed nice and warm.  The red tortillas are the pierna.  They almost come out looking like they are quesadillas, but there is no cheese in them.  They are nicely cooked and the meat melts into the tortilla.  I really enjoyed it.  This was a nice surprise on the taco front for the day.  After eating the food, I'm coming back, I am totally getting a torta and pierna is not going un-ordered if I'm around!

That is the salsa bar.  They let you put your own lime, cilantro and onions.  Some places don't have great fresh product out, these guys do.  They replenished it over and over while I was there.  They had fried jalapenos on the salsa bar.  They were so incredibly good.  That is worth the price of admission in itself.  I totally loved them!  Salsas were good, didn't blow me away.

Thank you as always for reading and being a part of the adventures.  I need to write more of these, just been crazy busy!  I've also been hitting some old favorites lately.  Today's goodbye gratuitous photo is of Brandon.  Brandon has been a really great close friend of mine for a few years now and it is like I've known him my whole life.  Very lucky to have such a great guy to call a true friend.  When I'm on the road, Brandon always checks on me.  When I'm in town, he is reminding me to try to have some fun sometimes and does his best to get me to get out and eat some tacos with someone other than myself!  Here Brandon is about to crush some pierna and beer!

Stay Excellent!

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!

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)

Las Equipales, Sylmar, CA..a must eat

I'll start with the address:
Las Equipales
15963 Yarnell Street
Sylmar, CA
(818) 833-2902

If you are not careful, you will drive right by this place, maybe even multiple times.  Just a warning.  You don't want to miss it.  Homemade tortillas, fantastically flavored meats, yeah this place has it going on.  Word from the Taco Wise, go early.  We got there 30 minutes prior to close and they did not have their adobada.  Still had their famous, handmade tortillas.  It made me very sad they didn't have the pork I was so craving.

So Brandon and I have been talking that we just need to get out and go somewhere.  I've been scouting places everywhere and this place keeps coming up.  I have read about it, looked at what they have, the whole deal.  I called, asked questions, I wanted to make sure that I was going to the right place.  They were very nice on the phone and even cooler in person.  Brandon and Allison are so damn cool.  They are recently engaged and I am so excited to see them tie the knot.  Great people, great couple.  Knowing people like them is great.  Getting tacos with them is amazing.  I of course have been telling Brandon about this place over and over.  I know you read it before, but homemade tortillas!  Yeah, they were obviously really tasty.

So when you walk in, there is a small area with tables and guys and gals working hard behind the counter, they know what they are doing.  These folks are masters of their craft.  We ordered our food, a nice little spread.  I again will cry that I was sad for no pork.  Just a great reason to go back another day.  I mean, I need no reason other then how awesome this place is.

Slightly to the left, you can see them hard at work pounding out the tortillas.  I mean, handmade deliciousness.  There are great places that make their own, but this place hit the spot.

They use old school restaurant ways, I really enjoyed watching them work.  It was really cool seeing them do what they do.  They all seem to enjoy working with each other and enjoy working there.  I think that really helped the experience.  Just nice folks there.

Chips and salsa were a great start.  Chips were thick good and crispy.  Salsa was smoky and good.  Ratings are coming up soon, so I don't want to give away too much.  Brandon has been spoken about in a number of my blogs.  He is a great dude, his fiance is awesome.  They are fun loving, Dodger loving people from great families.  I've said it before, I'm lucky for the friends that I do have.  I can't say enough that it's not what you eat, but who you eat it with.  I will say though, this place is righteous.

This is Brandon's face of, really?  Will you stop taking pictures and talking and let us eat already?  Allison is looking for her knife, some chick looked at her funny, Allison wanted to throw down.  I caught Allison in a quick less aggressive photo right after that.

Doesn't she look nice.  Allison too, not just the chips.  She's really a cool chick, if you didn't get that from my earlier comments.  But seriously, if you can't tell, she liked the chips.

Yeah, I'm getting excited right now just looking at that.

Get Excited...
RATINGS:
SALSA: 4, smoky, flavorful, nice tomato flavor.  I loved it.  I thought that it was just really nice stuff.  There was the salsa for the tacos and a separate one for the chips.  Both were yummy in my tummy.
TORTILLAS: 5, delicate, but firm, soft, but strong.  These things are great.  You need to go and try these soon.  You will be thanking constantly.
POLLO: 4, yeah, way above average.  This stuff is really good.  Moist, nice, eat it, you like it.
BIRRIA: 4, shredded beef goodness.  Yes, very good.  Flavorful, little bit of clove in there.  I found it to be nice.  So often you get over boiled beef that is just not good, well readers, that is not the case there.
ASADA: 5, perfect.  I need say no more.

ATTACK:

Yeah, we totally attacked.  Stuff was good, day was fun.  I needed that day.  We all have so many things going on, so many pressures, this was a great afternoon of distraction.  It was great to hang out with two great friends and eat such great food.  I'll probably write a part two about this place.  I'm going back, I'm going to have their adobada and their carnitas and more of their asada.  Thanks for reading, please tell your friends and of course, Stay Excellent.

Whole Foods, Porter Ranch, no not a typo...controversial, rugged writing, read with caution, a bit offensive

Look, I just can't say it enough, I don't find tacos, they find me.  I was minding my own business heading to the chiropractor with Melissa, Alexander, Eleni and the Juggernaut.  We go to a chiropractor in Porter Ranch on the North end of the Valley.  There is a Whole Foods right next door.  Anyhow, I was overwhelmed by the smell of tacos.  They have a little tent set up right outside of the store and are selling street tacos.  I held low expectations, but was delighted and excited by what I saw.  I think that the menu impressed me the most.  It was potato, asada or pollo.

I got one of each.  Just thought I'd eat them in the car.  I was with Melissa, and I know I've never put a picture of her on the blog as she doesn't normally go Tacoteering with me, but I did snap a shot of her driving and eating.  I know that she will be happy to find her picture on the blog.

Yeah, I know, I'm a lucky guy.  Ha, I chuckled while writing that one.  So that is my wife eating.  She is really good at eating.  I know that she eats often.  Well, only in California are you going to find a supermarket that sells street tacos outside, so for that, I commend you Whole Foods.  I kept my expectations lower then a midgets urinal and that was in my best interest for sure.  You pay, walk over to the grill, they fill your plate with what was ordered, then you head over to their salsa bar.

So, the salsa bar looks promising right?  I mean it really did, but looks were very deceitful.  The cilantro was wilted, the onions were too sharp.  Yeah, that came from me.  I love sharp flavors and onions and I'm screaming NO!  Yes, that bad.  Salsas looked good.  They looked homemade and fresh.  They had the look.  We are jumping into the ratings, trust me, looks is all that the salsas had.

RATINGS:
RED SALSA: 2, this might be a generous score for this flavorless blunder.  I would not call this salsa.  It was old tomatoes mixed with old onions, canned jalapenos and yeah, it sucked more the a hooker on Sherman Way.
GREEN SALSA: 1, it really hurt typing the word salsa, as this was not a salsa.  It was more like a bad aioli.  This stuff sucked more then a drunk cheerleader at prom.  Yeah, I said it.  The cuts are deep on this blog.  This food insulted me, my palate, my taco integrity.  I look back into my Tacographic Memory and can't find many salsas that suck more then this one.  It was like food colored mayonnaise.  Just to hold up my end of the deal, just so you know, I did not like it.  It was confirmed by Melissa that it sucked.  She is the chick stuffing her face while driving up above.
TACO de PAPA: 1, yeah, lets call this what it is.  Unsalted potatoes, boiled with onions and shoved into an unsuspecting, helpless, victimized tortilla.  Me no like.
ASADA: 1,  I don't know how you one asada.  I mean it is grilled cow.  It is easier then my high school sweetheart at a college party.  This stuff was junk.  No flavor, no fun, no nothing.
POLLO: 3, yeah, three makes the highlight of the trip.  That is embarrassing in itself.  The chicken wasn't bad.  It was well seasoned, cooked perfectly, light crunch, juicy, but cooked.  I thought it was good, but it sure did not impress me enough to rate it better then the "norm."

So this is after Melissa had attacked the Pollo Taco, the second it made it into the Big Red Dragon (her van).  The food was not good.  By not good, I mean that it sucked.  I'm going to go on record and say it.  My house is just shy of 4 miles from here.  If you feel that tempted, call me, come over, I will make you tacos so that you do not have to endure the poop plate that I did.  Even those of you that read this and I don't like do not deserve this trash.  Run, run fast, seriously, really fast.  This stuff is not good.  It is worse then the Jaguar's record this year.

Thanks for reading, sorry for the bad news, but you are welcome for the warning.  On a very positive note, I'm heading out tonight with Brandison and we are going to a very promising place off of the 210 near the 5 freeway.  This place has been on my radar and I have taco sources that say it is better then the highly acclaimed, infamous El Faro.  I know, hard to believe, I'm so excited my nipples could cut glass.  Party one everyone and please, Stay Excellent.

Huraches al Pastor, Southern California Local Farmer's Markets

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

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

RATINGS:

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

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

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

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