My In-Laws 'Winning' in front of La Tapatia

5551 Richmond Ave, Houston, Texas • 713-787-9680

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I don’t remember who said this, but google tells me it’s George Santayana, some foolish adherent to the philosophical school of pragmatism – the quaint idea, long abandoned, that we can learn from our mistakes and cooperate in order to survive and succeed. He wasn’t around long enough to learn what we now know – that divisiveness and demagoguery are a much more expeditious method of taking money and power from those that have the least and giving it to those who have the most, and that really is the purpose of politics. A hustle. And we’re all marks, dupes, rubes. The opposite ends of the political spectrum will argue about who the shills are, and who the hustlers are, and who the bosses are, but few will argue that we aren’t the ones getting fleeced. And with that ham-handed segue, let me talk about a very unique taco that was perhaps, at some point, fleeced as well.

After the last place we ate at was such a disappointment as have most taco spots I’ve tried in Houston I expected the very same from La Tapatia. And while the waitress said the tortillas weren’t homemade, it was hard to tell by looking at them. The interior was big and clean, and there was a nice, full bar. I had planned to order my usual – carne guisada, and chorizo & egg, but had to abandon plan a upon seeing an item on the menu I’d never seen before: lamb barbacao. It was heavenly, more like carnitas than barbacoa, with a buttery richness that could kill you. The nopalitos that came on the side were also quite good, as was the salsa. Apparently tacotopia isn’t the only place to get a great taco, but Houston may be the only place to get this one. And now let the sending of emails proving I’m wrong commence.

As we left, a truck was pulling up from a local tortilleria, resplendent in gracefully aging hand-painted signage. And, thus, Houston redeemed itself to me. Unlike our government. Wake Up Sheeple!

Our free taco winner for this week is:

Rosanna Arquette

With her deceptively impish voice, adorable overbite, stunning body, and inquisitive grace it’s no wonder Arquette is the subject of two top 40 hits penned by lovers left in her wake. The first, Rosanna by ‘supergroup’ Toto  whose keyboardist Steve Porcaro (not the Porcaro who died from the bug spray (or cocaine if you believe the newspapers), his brother) dated her, and the second – In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. If you’re my age you remember her from Desperately Seeking Susan and if you’re a movie buff you should remember her from After Hours, 8 Million Ways to Die, Cronenberg’s Masterpiece of disturbing sexuality Crash, and the honorable Pulp Fiction. Living a bohemian lifestyle as a child in a family of performers who not only moved her to a commune but also managed Second City, she is the hottest of the three Arquette daughters – and that’s no small feat, as one of them is the beautiful Patricia, and another – Alexis – has worked extra hard at it having been born a man. All three have been in Tarantino movies. One of her brothers, David, is also in the business. At 52 she’s every bit as hot as she was at 22, and is doing more than ever – still guest starring in TV shows and movies, but directing and producing as well, including the great documentary “Searching for Debra Winger” which shines a light on the dearth of older females in significant roles in tv and film. A cause Tacotopia can get behind.

Offer includes 2 tacos, an audience with the ‘tacoteurs,’ and a free tacotopia t-shirt. Please redeem this offer at Whetstone Graphics on a Friday morning of your choice. Offer subject to cancellation by order of the wives of the tacoteurs.  Enter to win by emailing your name in on the September 1990 issue of Playboy to tacos@tacotopia.net.