Taco Town

Linked: Vice Reviews London Mex

2008-07-11T15:39:37Z

From ViceLand (also check out the DOs & DON’Ts while you’re there)

¡AY CARAMBA!
Mexican Food in London Mostly Tastes Like Sewage.

This we know because we grabbed a Mexican who we found doing capoeira in a park with a bunch of Brazilians and dragged her around three of what purported to be London’s best Mexican takeaway joints. Turns out that if they were trying to peddle their burritos back home, they’d be hounded out quicker than the spring break kids being chased out of Tijuana by the warring Sinaloa and Gulf drug gangs. read on>

cabeza

Beck - Modern Guilt

2008-07-09T16:40:57Z

You gotta appreciate Beck…always evolving- never making the same record twice, but still always sounding like BECK- that skinny, white, creative, versitile, funky, soulful, scuffed-up goodness. its a defining voice in my generation

He had an amazing run of creativity with Odelay > Mutations > Midnite Vultures > Sea Change…Alas, the next 2 records just couldn’t live up to his Golden Age - though they had their moments…Modern Guilt hits a similar bittersweet mark…and after 2 listens…I like it, but dont love it.

Chappy sent me the album over email- prefacing with a comment that “Beck had phoned-it-in on this one”…not sure i totally agree.

i can dig that 60’s psychedelic vibe…DangerMouse produced. not a huge fan of him. title track is cool. The best songs on here are the real band tracks/ Chemtrails, Soul of a Man (listen below)
I must say DM’s samples are lacking melody and life in their grooves - as opposed to earlier beck albums- Dust Bros. era- those managed to retain that raw, live-band feel even with shit loads of samples thrown in.

Listen to “Soul of a Man” from Modern Guilt
[See post to listen to audio]

its got 3-4 good songs on it, but overall its lacking that spark that we know beck’s capable of
Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

more info > www.modernguilt.com

cabeza

Taco Wars!!!! Chico’s vs. Chuco’s

2008-05-30T18:06:57Z

vs.

El Paso’s “rolled taco” stallwarts Chico’s Tacos is suing Austin’s own Chuco’s for swiping their name (close-anyway) and their signature dish- which is basically taquitos drowned in broth and smother’d in cheese. I admit i’ve never been to El Paso, but Chuco’s version was a soggy disaster- not impressed.

and the citizens-against-frivolous-lawsuits weigh in:

“If Chico’s wants to sue, then the German guy who came up with the hamburger and the Italian guy who came up with the pizza should also sue,”Read the article here >

BREAKING NEWS: They must’ve sent the goons in to intimidate these newcomers, cuz they alreayd changed their name- its now called “10th Street Tacos“…I like that better anyway.

more: Statesman Article on Chuco’s

-cabeza

Taco Taco Cafe: Twice-as-Nice or Twice-the-Hype?

2008-05-30T00:10:55Z

Taco Taco Cafe
145 E. Hildebrand - San Antonio, Texas 78212 | (210) 822.9533

Perhaps by now you’ve heard of the taco phenomenon that is Taco Taco Café, a modest little taco shack out in San Antonio that has garnered nationwide attention and acclaim. Bon Appétit, in a Best American Restaurants series, crowned the Mexican mainstay as having the “Best Breakfast Taco in America”; Food Network concurred, awarding the Café “Best Tacos in America” (beating out Atlanta’s Taqueria Del Sol and South Beach Bar & Grill in Ocean Beach, CA);

Even Details magazine has thrown in their two centavos, designating the morning fare “Best Breakfast in America.”

Now, clearly Mexican food in general is the best type of breakfast food. Look at the citywide incredulity and panic generated by the infamous freeze of 2006, when you couldn’t get a breakfast taco. In Austin, Hell had officially frozen. So, Details saying that Taco Taco has the “Best Breakfast in America” isn’t rocking the boat too much. However, two major epicurean experts declare that Taco Taco Café has the “Best Taco in America”?? (breakfast and otherwise?) That’s no laughing matter. I mean, fights have been fought over much, much less, especially in the Tex-Mex Capital of the World. Thus, I decided to see for myself if the proclamations rang true. Twice, just for good measure.

Taco Darwinism in South Austin: Taqueria Chapala #4

2008-07-11T16:00:45Z

The first casualties of low blood sugar- Decision making and creative thinking/ you ever wait too long to take that lunch break and you end up pacing south congress like a zombie in search of any meat-based meal that’ll quench the pangs? yeah, maybe we should bring snacks to work or somethin…tacosnax…

Well, said pangs led me reluctantly to that mediocre stripmallueria they called Garibaldi’s on South Congress (just south of Ben white). BUT I was overjoyed to see that Baldi’s had been replaced by a shiny new Taqueria Chapala- IMO the best of all ATX Jalisco-style restaurants.

Chapala is sure to challenge the Tapatia family’s stranglehold on Ben White- much more class and quality (though to be fair- Tapatia has bigger portions than anyone).

At Chapala the decor is bright and simple, the service is lightning fast, the prices are dirt cheap, and the food is outstanding.

I ordered the old faithful - Combination Plate with all Beef Fajita (which i recommend to all virgin jalisco diners). I also took a chance on the barbacoa Adobado Taco - a grilled taco stuffed with juicy, spiced up bbq beef cheek meat…the best barbacoa I’ve tried in some time. (pictured at right: the Barbacoa Adobado Dinner)

Not to be outdone- Chapala’s fresh red table salsa is SO GOOD…whips Arandas ass…

Chappy got the Torta Sandwich with Beef Fajita. no complaints.

We also tried the Beef Crispy Taco (pictured below) Very fresh, hot, crispy, and tasty- if a bit greezy.

ATTENTION/ 78704-ites: I strongly suggest you temper that “Torchy’s & highlife” fad-diet with some good ol’ jalisco-style at least once a week…its good for your helf.

Taqueria Chapala
4201 S Congress Ave # 106 • Austin, TX 78745 [map] • Order TO GO 512.326.9090

Score:
Atmosphere: 6 (small, but bright and clean)
Price: 8 (hard to beat for the price)
Salsa: 7.5 (simple and tasy- the Chips suck though)
Food: 9 (first rate jalisco)
Service: 8 (all spanish/ but Fast & with a smile)
total: 77% Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

~Cabeza De Taco

Maurice Del Taco

2008-05-12T17:32:29Z

Kenny vs. Spenny is some funny shit…especially Kenny’s alter-ego, Maurice Del Taco. enjoy this compilation..-cabeza

Filiberto’s - Tempe, AZ

2008-04-24T17:27:47Z

I was lucky enough to discover this 24-hr drive thru taco shop directly across from the my motel in Tempe, AZ.. after a long night of playing and a hearty helping of booze, this place might as well have been the pearly gates of taco heaven.. we ordered a whole mess of regular beef tacos - these are deep fried tacos - similar to the kind you may have tried from jack in tha box, only these suckers are made with love and cooked to perfection.. the beef is shredded and savory.. the cheese is american, grated and generously applied to said tacos.. bottom line: these are the best tacos anyone could ever want at 3 in the morning.. toeing the line between heaven and hell..this food was sinful , greasy, delicious, perfection..
[more pics after the jump]

Nibana Restaraunte`- Tamarindo, Costa Rica

2008-04-12T16:09:11Z

editors note: say hi to El Capitan! TT’s newest contributor- fresh off the boat from the exotic beaches of Costa Rica. Revel in his far-away taco knowledge…apparently, when you get this close to the equator its necessary to add another “c”to tacco…enjoy!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Taccos! These lovely ladies hopped right out of the Pacific Ocean on to my plato where I was pleased to see an array of colors calling my name. At the top a special tartar sauce with a bit of a tang to it. A medium bodied Pico de Gallo accompanied by a rich, lightly chunky guacamole. First bite of the lightly toasted tacco was mostly tortilla, as the meat was secretly hidden away in the center-a few bites later and viola there it was! Scrumptious, delicious, yum are a few words that came to mind as the guacamole, pico and tartar garnishes enveloped all the warm delectable meat inside! With my eyebrows arise, I quickly ate it all up. You will notice by seeing the menu that this filling meal was listed as a snack…

Our first meal in Costa Rica was the best. I talked about this meal for the remaining 5 days. So much so, we returned to Nibana for dinner the last night. We heard of another local eatery called Taco Stop (with the A in Taco turned upside down). Much to our dismay, after walking the dusty roads of Tamarindo, the eatery was closed. It must be the Tico nature of ‘Pura Vida’ as we heard later that they were probably on holiday! Naturally, this entitles us to another trip to Costa Rica!!!

more pics after the jump>

EL CAPITAN!

Rasta Taco - Capistrano Beach, CA

2008-03-31T15:23:39Z

I and I always say, the best food be made with one love and positive vibrations. Jah loves tacos. And now, 2 of his more enterprising children have created Rasta Taco. Them be a restaurant and taco cart movement in California mon, combining da rasta lifestyle with mexican food.

Chappy here be gearing up for a west coast exodus with Moving Matter this munt mon, and he be doin him some California taco research. After reading the review over at the DreadHead Times blog, him think this joint might posess the best tacos this side of Zion. Dem gots plenty of menu selections for which to lively up yourself, items such as the Pato Potato Taco and Eek-a-Mouse Quesadilla, this place be taking taco fusion to a new level mon. Hopefully dem food wont burn and loot your bowels either. and if dem belly not full, dem can even finish dem meal with a Jah-colate Chip Cookie! Respect. [Review from dreadheadtimes.com here]

SXSW’08: Cabeza’s Discoveries pt2

2008-03-18T14:21:55Z

Idgy Vaughn : Austin, TX
We caught her short set at Ruta Maya on Saturday and were drawn in by her delicate voice and tasty instrumentation (Austin mainstay Will Sexton accompanied her on a reverb’d out dreadnaught acoustic). Turns out her folky story-songs are autobiographical- in a nutshell: midwestern girl ends up working at a truckstop in Buda, TX; a customer finances her album after winning the lottery; instant success is marred by a bitter custody battle for her daughter that leaves her estranged from her family. Its the stuff country music is made of…KUT did a nice audio-story on her here>

Liam Finn : New Zealand
We had already attempted to catch Liam, the eldest son of Neil Finn (lengendary leader of Crowded House and Split Enz) Thursday at The Ale House - but like I said 10 times this weekend, “if you’ve heard of them, the line’s too long.” Luckily, we had another chance Friday at the Paste/Stereogum Party. Armed with electric guitar, drumset, two Line-6 delay pedals, and one talented female sidekick, Finn proceeded to floor the 200 or so in attendance. Great hooky songs (instantly Finn-like) that build into layered sing-along anthems. The drumset was probably his most impressive talent - pulverizing finales over looped grooves / I suspect the album sounds very different- which makes his live act even more a MUST SEE.

SXSW’08: Cabeza’s Discoveries pt1

2008-03-13T17:50:41Z

just 1 night down at SXSW, but here’s 2 very good bands we stumbled onto:

Afenginn : Copenhagen, Denmark
We caught them by chance while grabbing dinner at Rio Grande - the brisket taco’s were bland, but these bad ass gypsy pickers brought the Danish Sabør - very melodic and inventive klezmer jams. And their bass player is disgusting/

…

AND

…

The Aggrolites : Los Angeles, CA
It was nearing 1AM, and the Black Keys showcase had an absurb line outside, so we took a chance on the Flamingo Cantina - IMHO the most reliable venue on 6th street. The Aggrolites dropped our jaws immediately with their air-tight Ska/Reggae/Funk stew- like The Specials meets James Brown in East LA. They had this vato on the B3 just rippin it up…really impressive live band/

-cabeza

SXSW Renegade Style

2008-03-10T23:21:43Z

we like to do SXSW the cheap way around here.. even better yet - the FREE way.. you can catch us at numerous unofficial events this week. its all about doing your research and then getting out there in the mix, unafraid to poke around in search of the triumverate of slacker gold - free music, free booze, free food! here are some links that will help you do SXSW renegade style:

Show List Austin - a list of non-wristband shows
On the Cheap - an article about how to do SXSW Cheap
SXSW Baby - free event listings
Top 10 Free SXSW Concerts - from austi360

Nuclear Tacos at SXSW

2008-03-10T18:26:37Z

fellow Austin taco bloggers and hot pepper enthusiasts from the Nuclear Tacos crew are throwing their annual SXSW party Monday March 10th, 6pm at Brush Square Park downtown…. this food aint for the meek..true taco explorers should prepare to shed tears of joy, sweat beads of blood, and deal with nuclear fallout that is sure to confuse your bowels in the hours following this event…[info]

Killer Toxic Tacos?? cmon!

2008-03-13T19:56:09Z

Dubbed the TOXIC TRIANGLE, its the 20,000 home subdivision in the southwest part of San Antonio, TX [map] - built atop a former Air Force base. Years of chemical spills, careless dumping and undocumented disposal of mystery barrels have left the area’s water supply contaminated with a dealy plume of cancer-causing chemicals, including Trichloroethylene (TCE)- which has been linked to serious health effects including liver, kidney and breast cancer. Literally hundreds of Toxic Triangle residents have died of cancer over the past 10 years.

While the Air Force authorities have assumed the burden of cleaning up the mess, they still view the cancer studies as inconclusive, and “to bitter, impatient residents, the Air Force’s reluctance to take direct blame for the incidence of disease in the area is demonstrated by what they consider to be an outrageously slow, half-hearted cleanup effort.” SA Current - Full Article here

“WTF does this have to do with Tacos?” you ask??

Well, now the Air Force is pulling what i can only decribe as Taco Town’s Conspiracy Mashup of The Year- combining overt racism with pass-the-buck right wing science (ala global warming denial) Brilliant!

The Airforce is funding (at least partially) a study into the theory that this cancer plague is actually caused by corn tortillas! Here’s their only evidence:

Donnelly says a study in Africa found that a toxic mold sometimes found naturally in corn and grains is believed to be a contributing factor to liver cancer cases among some local residents there, but those people also suffered from hepatitis, or had other liver problems.
“There was a study that was specifically done in South Texas that showed that there are certain corn products that do have relatively high levels of these chemicals in them,” explained Dr. Donnelly, “So, yes, we are suspicious of corn products.” …Full Article Here

What genius came up with this one? Could it be an Aggie scientist (irony in itself)? YES!…I can see it now: “Well, ders lots o’ mexicans over there in San Antonio…bet they eat lots o’ tacos n corn n shit…maybe we can blame it on the tacos?”

You know what else causes cancer? EVERYTHING! cigarettes, red meat, sweet n low, diet coke, computers, microwaves, cell phones…etc…oh and also massive amounts of TCE!!!

But surely this has nothing to do with a Giant PLUME of toxic waste in those mexicans’ drinking water!…Nahhh…its the tortillas…and genetics…

FUCK THAT!!!
- Cabeza.

after the break: links to more info about this mess

Joby’s Hot Sauce Festival 2007

2008-02-22T16:10:39Z

[updated - 2008.02.22]
NEW! Here’s Holstein’s Flickr Pics of the event

Thanks to Joby for his hard work and big thanks to everyone who participated in this growing event…we hope to see more of you guys next year.

[updated - 2007.11.11]
THE RESULTS ARE IN!
Winner: Chappy’s Elbo Green Salsa
2nd Place: Meredith Oakes’ ASS PUCKER
3rd Place: Teresa’s fresh red salsa
4th Place: Grego Loboz “Polish Power”
5th Place: Dan’s Delicious Red

11 Restaurants That Failed Health Inspection in Austin

2008-03-04T15:18:05Z

In 2007, 11 Austin area restaurants scored 50 or less on their health inspection scores… thats a serious score..it means a temporary revocation of their license.. here’s the list of the guilty restaurants… notable mexi-joints include la merced, la terraza, and ninfa’s, which happens to be the chain of restaurant that introduced me to cheese enchiladas, rice and beans at a very young age, thus shaping me into the man whose words you’re reading today… ninfas in austin is the bastard stepchild of a houston dynasty.. and its time for it to be cut off from mom and dad.. its all about pride..but at least they make their own tortillas.
tacotown does not support these restaurants:

china buffet
madras pavillion
wanfu
sao paulo’s
jack in the box on airport (indoor raw sewage leak)
musashino! (cockroaches,dirty fingernails)
china harbor
la merced
la terraza
new oriental market on airport
ninfa’s

check the video report here

El Flaco Cafe - Austin, TX

2008-02-20T16:42:33Z

Another South Congress discovery! We’ve passed this place numerous times, and for some reason never thought too much about it.. But sooner or later, a true taco explorer has to head into uncharted waters in search of mexi-gold. So it was on Monday February 18th that we set sail for this exciting new land, albeit with low expectations.

The vibrant colors are a nice change from the old-hat look of nearby El Gallo. El Flaco Cafe is a small restaurant of maybe 15 tables. The waitresses were eager to serve and friendly from the get-go.. We got our chips and salsa promptly. The salsa was roja.. pureed thoroughly.. and mighty tasty! It was mild, not much heat, but the flavor was unique and tantelizing.

The menu featured a standard selection of tex-mex fare.. Enchiladas, tacos, chalupas, and combo plates of the sort. Both Cabeza and I decided on combo plates.. I got the standard mexican plate with 2 beef enchiladas, a taco, rice, beans, and tortillas. Cabeza got the special plate- same as mine, but with carne guisada.

The food arrived in no time, and we dug in.. Wow.. this is as good as anything else in town. It was simple tex-mex, done right.. The beef taco was savory and fresh.. a perfect beef crispy taco.. no frills. The enchiladas were excellent, cheesy and smothered in a classic con carne sauce.. Nothing bland or tasteless about this meal.. we were enjoying every bite. The carne guisada on Cabeza’s plate took the prize though.. it was just the way I like it, full-flavored and tender, with no fatty chunks just mouth-watering morsels of roast beef in a delicious brown gravy.

The icing on the cake was El Flaco’s homemade tortillas, both flour and corn that came with our meals and were wrapped around our enchiladas.. They were perfectly done and they added to quality of our meal immensely.

The tortillas are a small detail that, to me, indicate the amount of pride a restaurant takes in its mexican food - and its is an art that seems to be lost on Austin.. hardly anyone in the ATX is making their own tortillas anymore, whatup with that? do we have to go to Taco Cabana for a fresh tortilla? perhaps we need to start a coalition to advocate fresh tortillas in more mexican joints around town..i mean, apparently this is not a problem in Houston, c’mon people!

Whale, definitely check out El Flaco if you’re down on south congress and you want a quick, laid back, and quality tex-mex experience. The manager was even cool enough to come out and check on his patrons a few times, pitching in to help the waitresses when he could.. I appreciate that kind of attention to detail.

heres the score:

El Flaco Cafe [map]
3632 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-2767

Score:
Atmosphere: 6 (casual, but clean)
Price: 7 (inexpensive)
Salsa: 8 (unique, tasty)
Food: 9 (great)
Service: 9 (great)

total: 78% Rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars

El Borrego de Oro - Austin, TX

2008-03-13T19:09:24Z

I had passed this place on the corner of Congress and Ben White a million times..a funny looking place with a sheep on the sign.. I never really thought it would be very good, but after giving in and eating there a few times, I have been proven wrong.. I really like this place.. its unassuming.. the waitstaff is friendly (the little hispanic man that refills your tea and salsa is hilarious), and the food is made with pride…

I’ve tried the chicken tortilla soup twice and its great.. very hearty, with rice avocado, cheese,.. its like a good home-made soup that your grandma used to make.. try it during lunch and its cheaper!

the al pastor is just ok.. I thought the pieces of pork were a little too big and tender.. I know that shouldnt be a gripe, but my favorite al pastor is a little crunchy because the meat has caramalized and been cooked properly.. this is good in a different way.. like carne guisada almost..

the tortillas are made fresh in-house.. nice.

the salsa is a little watery..but tasty nonetheless.

overall, I would definitely reccommend this place to anyone.its well above average.

El Borrego de Oro
3900 South Congress
Austin,TX 78704 [map]
(512) 383-0031

the Score:
Atmosphere: 6 (low key, no frills)
Food Quality: 8 (good)
Service: 9 (great)
Salsa:5 (meh)
Price: 7 (ok)
Total: 70%
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Audio Review: Garibaldi’s - Austin, TX

2008-01-17T23:56:18Z

A first for tacotown: the audio review.. thanks to the handy ‘audio notes’ feature of my blackjack phone. I’m a gadget fiend, man..tacos and gadgets…gadgets and tacos..whats the deal with Garibaldi’s? listen to the audio clip to find out..I apologize if it my voice lacks the emotional vigor that one equates with my writing.. I was actually just dictating for a writup later.. but then i realized that I could cut a step out of the process with the magical powers of my gadget.. voila:

[See post to listen to audio]

Garibaldi’s Mexican Food
4201 S Congress Ave # 106
Austin, TX 78745
(512) 326-9788 [map]

Recipe: Chappy’s Sweet Heat - Pineapple Guava Habanero Salsa

2008-01-12T22:19:05Z

This is my favorite tropical salsa.. its a perfect compliment to an al pastor taco.. or try with coconut shrimp.. its got that sweet pineapple flavor followed by the signature slow burn from the grilled habby’s…a tantalizing experience for your taste buds.

What you need to get: I go to Fiesta and get a fresh Pineapple, fresh habanero peppers, cilantro, fresh serrano, and 1 can of guavas (make sure they’re in that sweet syrup!)..

Preparation: Throw pineapple slices and whole habaneros on the grill….i like to get the pineapples a little bit caramelized by a hot fire…the habby’s should be a little bit charred on the outside.. dont over-do it though.. you want some of that meat to remain.. i usually do about 4-7 habaneros, use your own discretion on that one (dont be scared!)..

The minced serrano peppers round out the heat factor since they hit you a little sooner than the habaneros.. you only need 3-4 small peppers for a medium heat. chopp up the cilantro and you are ready to get mixin.. Add all the ingredients into a blender, 2-3 of the guavas will do you good. Blend it briefly on low speed.. you dont want to make it too pasty.. Finally, add about 1/2 a cup of the syrup from the guava can to sweeten the deal. Chill and serve! Its best fresh, so make it eat it in the same day for best results..

Chappy’s Sweet Heat - Pineapple/Guava/Habanero Salsa
Ingredients:

1 ripe pineapple

5-8 fresh habanero peppers

3-4 fresh serrano peppers (sub fresh jalapeno if you must)

1 Can of Guava (in syrup, you’ll only need a small amount)

1 handful fresh cilantro

enjoy!
Chappy