California Taco Trucks

Tacos Santana caters Jesse Thorn’s wedding

2008-09-11T15:06:34Z

Man, this guy is my hero.

Why? Not only because he has a great podcast and has interviewed everyone from Ira Glass to Ted Leo. Not only because his podcast was picked up by WNYC and then PRI. Not only because he’s America’s Radio Sweetheart. Not only because his wedding was covered by The Grey Lady herself. But mostly, because his wedding was catered by, yes, a taco truck.

The Times neglected to mention which truck provided the food. Because, as we all know, not all trucks are created equal. A closer look at the above photo reveals it to be Tacos Santana, which appears to be part of the El Tonayense empire. Good pick, Jesse!

Anti-Taco Truck law declared unconstitutional in Los Angeles County

2008-08-28T00:23:54Z

This just in from Phil Greenwald, the attorney representing the taco trucks in unincorporated LA County hit by the ordinance from earlier this year:

Hi:

This morning in Department 1 of the Los Angeles Superior Court in the East Los Angeles Court House, the Hon. Dennis A. Aichroth ruled on a motion that I filed.

The motion (called a “demurrer”) asked the Court to declare Los Angeles County Code Section 7.62.070 “unconstitutional” and thereby render it unenforceable.

This is the so called “time limit ordinance” which prohibited street vendors (e.g., Taco Truck Operators) from: (1)remaining at one place more than one hour (in a commercial zone) or (2) for more than one half hour (in a residential zone) and (3) prohibiting them from returning to the previous location at which they had been selling, or (4) within one half mile of the previous location in any THREE HOUR PERIOD.

The Judge accepted my arguments notwithstanding the opposition filed by the District Attorney’s Office. The Judge ruled the ordinance “unconstitutional.”

Yea! We won!

Fraternally and sincerely,

Phil Greenwald

Huzzah!

Save Sacramento’s Taco Trucks

2008-07-17T15:54:55Z

In addition to the mother of all taco truck maps, Yum Tacos is also hosting a petition to relax the Sacramento City Council’s recent decision to basically outlaw taco trucks in that fair city. By restricting them to 30 minutes per location - the amount of time it takes to lock down, set up, and get the grill going - they’ve effectively made it impossible for any mobile vendor of hot food to do business. In addition to many hungry Sacramentans of all classes and races, Sacramento’s taco trucks specifically serve many second and third-shift workers - cops, hospital workers, warehouse employees - who don’t have any other choices available late at night. Please do take a few minutes to go and add your name to the petition!

Tacos Jeesy’s & Tacos La Que Si Llena, East Los Angeles

2008-07-12T08:09:30Z

I had four post-midnight tacos tonight en route home from a show in Pomona.

The horchata at Jeesy’s was very good, and the pastor at Tacos La Que Si Llena was exceptional.

Also, Jeesy’s gets points for having an awesome neon sign and for letting customers dish out their own onions, salsa, carrots and jalapeños.

About Time Taco Truck, West Los Angeles (Brentwood)

2008-07-11T23:03:28Z

Believe it or not but there’s a taco truck in the ritzy neighborhood of Brentwood, parked on the northside of the Brentwood Country Club (San Vicente Ave. at Bristol Ave.) weekdays during lunch hours.

I swung by at 2 pm today and there were at least half a dozen other men ordering/waiting for food.

For $8.50 (a fortune at a taco truck), I bought a 0.5 L bottle of Mexican coke, and two carnitas tacos “plate.”

It came with a small side of chips/beans/salsa and sausage and onions with a really good spicy sauce.

Sadly, the carnitas was a bit fatty though, came on the bone, and the tortillas didn’t really hold together very well.

KPCC: Remember the Taco Truck!

2008-07-09T22:22:10Z

KPCC has released the audio of their May Zocalo forum about taco trucks online:

Remember the Taco Truck!

Moderated by C. Thi Nguyen, Chow Digest Editor at Chowhound.com

Sunday June 29th, 2008 at 9pm on 89.3 KPCC FM

Taco trucks are one of the cultural pillars of Los Angeles, but they could soon be a thing of the past. Led by Supervisor Gloria Molina, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors has passed new anti-taco truck regulations. If the trucks don’t move every hour, they face $1000 in fines, and/or six months in jail.

To weigh in on the issue Zócalo convened a panel of writers, thinkers, and activists: Pulitzer Prize winning food writer Jonathan Gold, Barry Glassner, author of The Gospel of Food, Miriam Torres, co-owner of Hermanas Torres taco truck, and Chris Rutherford, co-founder of co-founder of saveourtacotrucks.org, along with moderator C. Thi Nguyen. They describe the joys of the taco truck, their place in Los Angeles culture, and the effect of the legislation.

Recorded before a live audience at the Los Angeles Theatre Center as part of the Zócalo Public Square Lecture Series.

New Santa Rosa-area taco truck burns down

2008-07-09T00:17:08Z

Apparently a new Santa Rosa taco truck has burned to the ground for an unknown reason.

The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat:

The 2005 truck was parked behind Perry’s Deli on Sebastopol Road when smoke was reported billowing out of it just after 6 a.m., Santa Rosa Fire Division Chief Mike Jones said.

The fire was extinguished by 6:46 a.m.

Officials estimated the loss to be $100,000. The cause is under investigation.

The Modesto Bee: Patterson council, taco truck vendors agree on new rules

2008-07-05T18:45:31Z

First off, my apologies for the lack of posting these last couple weeks. Been busy with other work, mainly my book project, and the usual freelancing.

Also, my interviews with David LeBeouf and Philip Greenwald haven’t happened yet — we kept playing phone and email tag, but I’m going to stay on them and try to get an interview up on the site.

Anyway, onto the news, this time, from Patterson, Calif.

The Modesto Bee:

Council members unanimously supported a new mobile food vendor ordinance, which limits sales to paved surfaces, requires vendors to provide on-site parking, and limits trucks’ hours to 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Mayor Becky Campos disliked a portion of the ordinance that requires new food vendors to buy a $1,140 conditional-use permit.

“It seems a little bit elevated,” she said.

City staff said it would reconsider that fee, and bring it back to the council.

Juan Daniel Virgen, who represented the group by summarizing their concerns to the council, called the decision a success.

Vendors who already have business licenses and have paid their fees won’t be affected by the new ordinance unless they move their business elsewhere in the city.

It comes more than a year after talk of regulation began.

Neighbors’ complaints that the trucks draw loud crowds late into the night to a dusty strip of land along railroad tracks along First Street ignited the issue.

Councilman Sam Cuellar, who brought the issue to the council, said he didn’t intend to hurt anyone’s business.

Vendors said they are just trying to make an honest living.

“Like everyone, I dream of living a little better, and of being somebody in life so my children could be proud of their parents and what they’ve accomplished,” Joaquin Pelayo said.

Contra Costa Times: Woman burned by oil in taco truck collision in Concord

2008-06-13T17:44:52Z

I’m not sure which is more strange, that hot cooking oil was fired up while a taco truck is in motion, or that a taco truck was being driven by a Vietnamese(-American?) woman.

Contra Costa Times:

CONCORD — A woman was badly burned by hot cooking oil after the taco truck she was riding in collided with another car this afternoon on Interstate 680.

The collision occurred at 1:56 p.m. on southbound I-680, north of Concord Avenue, California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Maguire said.

The Chevrolet taco truck, driven by 49-year-old Thu Phan of San Jose, was travelling south in the left-hand lane at 55 mph. In the lane to the right of the truck, a 1995 Mitsubishi sedan driven by 19-year-old Iris Lopez, of Antioch, was also driving south.

Maguire said Lopez later told officers she thought the taco truck was merging into her lane, so she swerved to the right. The taco truck never attempted to change lanes, Maguire said. Lopez then over-corrected and swerved back to the left, striking the taco truck. The front of the truck slammed against the driver’s side front door of the sedan.

Three Brothers Taco Truck, East Palo Alto

2008-06-13T00:14:57Z

I had a really good pastor and carnitas taco (and a so-so asada taco) at Three Brothers Tacos in East Palo Alto today.