THE TACO PROJECT @ DF

Old taco place, old photos

2011-09-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

This Taco Joint, Los Parados is located in the south of the city, an area in the Del Valle residential area. Of course, much of Mexico City is never categorized as residential or commercial but rather a mixture of both except in the new areas where more planning took place and therefore the evident and obligatory use of a car. I personally enjoy the Superama (convenience supermarket) that is within walking distance along with the pharmacies, dry cleaners and ice cream shops, not to mention an excellent Torta place that makes a killer Chorizo and Cheese torta. These photos were taken in 2009 around the time a friend of mine was coming back from spending a year in D.C doing his masters. We went out, this was a nearby joint close to his house and the tacos were ok. The middle photo shows the chorizo sopes that were quite good and tasty. You can buy these plain for adding the ingredients of your choice at any market in the city, some are even sold by old ladies on the street.
Overall, I would say that I enjoyed the tacos they had there but it wasn't outstanding. The place is located on a busy corner so it's quite visible and convenient because it has parking.
I recently saw some more taco places I would like to try. Some up in the Santa Fe area that seem like promising joints. I keep you posted.

From El Toloache

2011-09-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

El Mito del Toloache offers a 2x1 accommodation settings. On the very top, its rooftop will be filled with large wooden tables along with large parasols that give a very cozy feeling. Despite the heavy rain, Toloache is prepared with a plastic rooftop that unfortunately has some leaks. The evening would have been perfect without those water drops interrupting the meal. The second area of the bar is a dancing and bar area on the second floor. It gets very crowded so you might reserve in advance.
This is not a taco joint but I had to include it here just because of its exquisite preparation of a bacon taco. It comes prepared along with some spiced onion and it's supreme. You can feel your arteries being clogged up from the taste but as I say nowadays, our pleasures, our finite pleasures are surrounded around food, sex and... sex?
So, it's worth it. El Mito del Toloache is located on Av. Chapultepec 420. Great taste of the bacon taco. Sure beats a BLT.

Tacos in Tuxpan, Veracruz

2011-07-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

In the end, I could show you hundreds of images of tacos from all over and they all make look the same but these tacos here in Tuxpan had a more orange color to the meat. And this color comes from the different marination of the meat, which is what makes each pastor taco its distinctive flavor. This taco place, called The 2 Friends is located right in the center of town. Very small town, you can cross the entire place in 10 minutes or less. A beach town with undeveloped beach properties, a huge electric complex from the government and also, oil town and the Rio Tuxpan runs through it. Still, quite picturesque and quiet. A complex with large houses and a brand new movie theater.

The flavor for these tacos was exquisite, I had about 8 of them. Really hungry after lounging and swimming in the pool from the Holiday Inn, probably the fanciest hotel in town, its wonderful architecture is the most original for this region, take a look:

The town is also a fishing town, great fresh sea food available and quite affordable.
So, if you are in search for an affordable place, there are other hotels that are quite affordable like the Tuxpan Hotel located right by the river. Nice wide rooms with a view of the river, ask for those views cause otherwise they might give you a room in the back with no view!

In other words, Tuxpan is where I would like to retire, its gradual change is so slow and passive that very few things will change in the next 20 years. You can still feel it when you walk the streets, they know you are not from there. My cousins live here and they are known as the family that owns 2 BMWs. Or my cousin's husband is one of the best pediatricians you will find here so, that's how a reputation is built in a smaller community.

Next week I'll be back in DF, trying out new tacos. Stay put!!!

TACO BACK

2011-06-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

I took a break from writing. Needed to explore more food and not just focus on Tacos. Some evenings are marked by late suppers and milkshakes. Long walks by the park and kisses that last into midnight. This, of course, having nothing to do with Tacos is what keeps us going. But tacos always come back to charm us and melt us into delicious slaves wanting more. Pass the salsa.

More news on tacos on the way. Friday night is coming people. Tacos are here.

2010-06-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Classic "Pastor" from a restaurant in Southern Mexico City, Los Sifones.

Our first PASTOR TACOS!!!!!

2010-06-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hello,
After some time being off the air, I have finally gone out and brought some tacos home. This is the classical pastor taco, pork meat, onion, coriander and a touch of pineapple. These tacos come from a place called "Los Sifones". The Sifones as we like to call them at home is a very old restaurant place that dates back to the 70s or earlier in a modest joint that eventually became a full legalized restaurant and has continued to offer the same variety of tacos in squared cut tortillas.

Among their specialties, they play a lot with the avocado and mix it with beef or pork in several taco specialties as well as chorizo with avocado known as the lanchita, the tiny boat.

Well, so here we go ladies and gentlemen, I will be looking into more taquerias (taco joints) later this week and begin this exhausting but delicious project.

Yours,

J.

Collecting info

2010-05-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Hey there,
Haven't written in a few days, trying to do some work before the taco project begins. I also work as a translator but that's beside the point. Today I saw this photo you might like, the translation on the sticker says: "If God is in me, I hope he likes Tacos". So yeah, I think the same thing. I think he does cause I always feel really good and angelical after having some. That's the way it is. You feel good, then God feels it. Not that I believe in God but after all we are in a heavily populated Catholic and Christian region of the globe.
Anyway, tacos will begin soon, promise. Let me just get that paycheck.

Taco. Word

2010-04-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

If you say tacos you could also be saying soccer shoes. As they have the same meaning here. And hence, you are talking about 2 very important things for Mexicans, tacos as food and tacos as the equipment for the national sport. Both are equally important in the mind of the any Mexican. There are strong opinions and opposing forces in the preference over tacos and the preference of teams. But one thing is certain, both groups of people love eating them.
As we begin this project I will pin point my favorite tacos, why they are my favorite and their locations so next time you hit Mexico City you will be able to find these locations and ask as a local. If you think you may not have the stomach, then you can always click on Next Blog to find something else. This is about food, about how taco can be the midnight angel after the party. While in Germany I noticed that people went and got a Dorum Döner in order to prevent a major hang over. As Turkish food has taken most of the market in Europe, not just because it's affordable but because these guys never close. Same for most taco joints in Mexico City. Most are open until very late to hold all those drunken teenagers and adults in the hopes to reviving them. And yes, Taco and a Coke will make your evening finalize in great style unless you got lucky that night...

So, next we will have the proper steps to holding a taco. It may seem easy but if you have the style you will be treated as a local and not some foreigner that can't do it the right way.

Good evening.

Preparing the Ground

2010-04-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hey there fellow readers,

There is something that Mexicans like to refer as the vitamin T. This includes any sort of food which begins with the letter T like Tacos, tostadas, tortas, tortillas, tamales. All of these are not nutritious at all, some worse than others. Tortas for example may contain anything from breaded beef meet and melted cheese, tamales can have all sorts of meat with spicy chicken and mole. Tostadas are your regular circular chips with chicken, cream, avocado and lettuce. And of course, Tacos are a wide range of varieties and meats. From tongue, pork, stake, chicken, potato, prickly pear, mushrooms, etc.

Vitamin T is what keeps Mexicans going. We can't live without them and if we are not home, the food is the one thing we miss the most. And more than the food itself, the flavor, the seasoning and the taste on the palate. As it was once said by someone that if Americans ever invaded Mexico they would all get sick from the food and we would win the war. I am not entirely sure about this statement but in terms of food, possibly.

The important thing is to keep eating and in the following weeks I will be just doing that while I introduce the different mixes of tacos, the way to hold a taco, different sauces, why are they the midnight saver, and why they are so addictive.

From the mini business man who carries one "canasta" full of tacos to the highly elegant establishments across the city.

A TACO PER DAY, YOU WILL ENJOY EVERY DAY!

2010-04-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hi there,
I had originally started a very complicated blog on topics of the world but as Susan Orlean once said in "The Orchid Thief" you must narrow down things to a more manageable state in order to handle them. So instead of trying to cover everything that happens in the world I decided to focus on one of my favorite foods: Tacos. And their establishments throughout the wonderful and yet complicated city of Mexico City. Through this future study, I will be eating in many places, from the high class tacos to the lowest of the low on tiny corners and subway exits. Every taco counts.
Through this project I will be exploring the many specialties of tacos but focusing mainly on one called "Pastor" which means shepherd. The Pastor is characterized by its marination ingredients. Each pork meat will never have the same flavor since it's marinated by different ingredients, different amounts of them and certainly different ranges of quality in the pork meat. It is the specific marination flavor which characterizes one flavor of "pastor Taco" from another and hence making some completely memorable while others just "carried you" through a meal. Hopefully here we will discover the best and why they are best.