tacotopia

Tacotopia this Friday takes us to the fabled San Luis Restaurant, nestled near the union of Laredo and Agnes.  Last week I told you that Garibaldi’s is the best and I don’t intend to contradict myself, but San Luis is beautiful thing.  If Garibaldi’s were a great wife – left behind in a 70’s western, San Luis is the hooker with the heart of gold.  Exotic and bold, independent and robust (at the risk of being repetitive and redundant).

The coffee arrived with an old-fashioned stainless steel creamer decanter, and it was sweating.  Not from the cream being ice cold, but from it being hot, scalded in fact, with a froth a barista could be proud of.  Every few minutes the juke box would start playing conjunto or norteño (like I could tell the difference).

Then the tacos arrived.  They barely fit on the plate.  And the tortillas (this is where it gets nsfw) were like a night with Salma Hayek, without performance anxiety (believe me – Salma demands high performance) with smooth, firm flesh stretching over a voluptuous form.  I’ve eaten tortillas out of the back of a tortilla factory in central Mexico and I’ve never had a tortilla this good.

The chorizo was very good, but not spectacular.  The carne guisada was quite tasty, with a noticeable taste of black pepper.  What they had going for them is how fresh they were.

I’m in a committed relationship with Garibaldi, but if my phone starts blowing up with the tune from “secret lovers” I’ll still be sneaking across the tracks (or crosstown freeway in this case) to get a little bit of that San Luis action.

This just in from our bizarro taco field reporter, Kevin N.

Due to a communication breakdown, I missed out on a threesome with Ian and San Luis Mexican Restaurant.  Missing the main event did not keep me from sampling the wares at San Luis.  I had been many times and felt a bit of anxiety at having suggested the restaurant with reports of high marks and some gentle elbowing about their supremacy over Garibaldi’s.  I was not disappointed.  From the moment the plate hit the table, I knew I was in for a treat.

I had a nopalitos and eggs taco and a chicharron al la Mexicana.  Wow!  Tbe nopalitos were fresh and delightful.  They could have been fresh-picked from the parking lot.  Cooked in a bright spicy orange sauce and mixed with a generous portion of eggs, it was enough before I got to the chicharrones – which by-the-way – were delicioso.  They were perfectly bite-sized and dense, cooked just enough to soften the outside.  Their luscious aroma reached my nose as the plate was placed before me.  This smell, mixed with that of the perfect corn tortillas barely containing the tacos’ ingredients was worth the wait.  Did I mention perfect corn tortillas.  If this place does not have the best tortillas in town, then I can’t wait to have those that best them.

The building was clean, but not sterile.  The wait staff was courteous and kept the hot coffee coming.  Two televisions had the noticias going and were interrupted briefly by the sound of conjunto.  My table boasted the only English in the place.

This was a great breakfast.  If I had to say anything remotely resembling negativity, I might wish for a bit more variety on the taco menu.  But Hey, nobody’s perfect.