I have been out of sorts lately. The work I’ve been doing is frustrating, and I’ve had many obstacles come up to impede it’s progress. Machines breaking down, employee drama, scheduling problems, and on and on. That’s why it’s called work.  I have moved back and forth between working long hours and taking brief trips into the heaven of my wife’s great cooking, and perhaps a little irish whiskey now and then. I have, in fact, been so busy that I’ve been unable to put together a post for a while. The Hat has been picking up the slack. It’s not for lack of trying, though. I’ve been to one taqueria in particular three times trying to put together a post, but it hasn’t materialized yet.

Lila's Juevos Ahogados

I did, though, have a little time this morning to get my taco on so the Hat, his better half, and myself all converged near the Saxet Hall on Leopard this morning. Saxet is Texas spelled backwards for those who don’t know. It’s a tough little shopping center that has seen better days but is still kicking. The hall bears witness to the Hurricane Alley Roller Derby about every month. It also hosts countless quinceañeras, to which I have dropped off my stepson many times. Some of these quinces have bikers working security so there’s little to worry about in this neighborhood. Not your weekend bikers either, but bikers who couldn’t hide their colors if they wanted to, and they don’t want to.

The first thing we tasted was the coffee – which was a good deal stronger than most. The lady bringing out the coffee was Lila herself, the namesake of the restaurant. She was polite and dignified with perfect english. Hold on – before you get bent about that last bit – let me explain. I don’t assume she speaks Spanish, I know because she was cracking the whips with the other waitress and the kitchen crew in Spanish. I would guess this was her first language, and when people live in a country where they have to speak in a foreign tongue much of the time  they usually end up in one of three groups. The first is people who have a thick accent whose speech never grows closer to that of the host country (think of the governator). The second are people who assimilate perfectly into the host country so that by listening they could only be identified as non-native by a finely tuned ear. The third group are people who are able to speak as well if not better than the locals, but choose to retain a flavor of their first language out of respect for their own culture. Lila falls into the third group.

I ordered a chorizo & egg, and a carne guisada. Lila brought them out and they looked pretty typical of the taquerias in the area. The tortillas were the star of the meal, both flour and corn on a level with the best in town. The salsa, too, was distinctive: very hot, and pretty fresh. The carne guisada was subtle but good. The chorizo & egg was sharp and delicious, bringing me back to the first time I tried C&E as a child. It tastes exactly how it’s supposed to. I’ve had better, but not very often.

I asked Lila how long they’d been there, and she said 12 years – but that’s after 5 years as another location. Cesar, the co-owner was there too, dressed in a uniform shirt for another job. Do yourself a favor, like the numerous police who were eating there this morning, and drop in for a taco. You won’t be sorry. Watch the parking lot though, it’s hungry too, for cars.

Our Taco Award Winner for this week is:

Aria Giovanni

Aria Giovanni is one of the three most beautiful women in the world. Period. The other two are Salma Hayek, and my wife. I’m not going to reveal what order they’re in but you should note they all have black hair and brown skin, and they all have curves. If you look up cleavage in wikipedia, they have a picture of Ms. Giovanni. A compelling argument for blended marriage, she is Italian Yugoslavian French German Irish and Native American. Aria is a model, meaning she’s pretty much hot for a living.  She was briefly married to Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5. This makes him barely the winner of the ‘I divorced the hottest pinup girl in the world’ contest he had with Marilyn Manson himself who divorced Dita von Teese. A frequent guest at comic book conventions, she has served as a surrogate imaginary girlfriend for a generation of nerdcore fanboys. Be careful for the NSFW if you google her.

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 on the back of the September 2000 issue of Penthouse to tacos@tacotopia.net.

You know how when you’re eating something divine – something so good that everyone’s mute, lost in a private world called delicious – that there are really no words to describe the experience.  Sure you can list the ingredients, spices, textures, and colors – but you can’t describe the emotion in it.  At least not without using an emotion to do it:  I love this.  This makes me happy.  But the love and happiness can’t be described.  We know ‘em when we see ‘em.  I guess that’s true for all emotions come to think of it.  So I guess that’s why I’m having a bit of trouble describing my trip.

I recently I mentioned on these very pages that I’d be going up to the World Championship Barbecue Goat Cook Off in Brady, TX.  And I did.  The trip was a success.  I hung out with friends, cruised “The Drag” a couple of times and Razzooed the park where the cook off was held.  (Razzoo, v. to amble the campgrounds of a public event such as a cook off, or camping area with little or no purpose other than to see and to be seen, to visit, and to generally take in the experience.)  It was a light crowd this year, some said ‘cause of the economy.

Now when you’re cooking a goat, you’re included in a cohort of cookers.  There’s some willingness to share recipes, stories and beverages with other cookers so there’s a fairly good chance that you can find a good taste of goat.  I didn’t have that opportunity this year but I was counting on a barbecue goat taco from the contract cooker on site.  In preparation, I stopped at Del Rey’s Restaurant and Bakery Saturday morning and picked up a bag of tacos to take back to the crew at Ricks Home Furnishings. Now the regular readers of Tacotopia will have heard the proclamation that Corpus Christi is the breakfast taco capital of the world and every now and then we get the opportunity to sample the breakfast taco offerings from that world.  It’s not just an opportunity, but it’s an obligation to sample, evaluate, and in some cases pass that experience on to other breakfast taco lovers.  I picked up some bacon and egg tacos, a chicharrone taco, and one filled with something red.  The tacos were big and the flour tortillas were pretty good.  I took a bag of the tarpoleans to go in preparation for the lunch-time cabrito taco I was planning to build.  Maria was very friendly and offered a taste of the chicharrones before I ordered.  They were spicy, and kind of spongy.  The seasoning was good, but the chichas were not prepared my favorite way.  Not enough to scare me away, though – kind of messy to eat, but nothing like the pig taco.  This taco filling was kind of a pork guisada, but bright red.  Fire engine red!  Monkey-butt red!! The meat was tender, but nothing stood out about it. I think I got a hint of garlic, maybe black pepper.  The salsa was lackluster.  But still the trip was worth it just to see a taqueria with a pool table.  Been to many in Tacotopia, but never seen that.  If I had to put a label on the place, I’d give it a C.

My lunchtime goat taco on the other hand I’ll give a hearty D-!  I won’t spend a bunch of time going on about how I know something about barbecuing a goat.  I don’t think you have to know a thing about it.  The outfit out of Sonora that did the job had an adequate set up, but I’d have to say that the pits needed a cleaning.  Goat has a pretty distinguishable taste and this was overpowered by what seemed to be the smoking fumes of several inches of burning brisket fat.  Not even wrapped in a tortilla, with a pretty good pile of fresh onions and a liberal dosing of an excellent XX Red salsa from Corpus Christi’s La Familia Salsa Company could save this taco.  I was disappointed, but maybe I was just hyped up and nothing could have met my expectations – but I don’t think so.  Many years of cabrito cooked by the Brady Chamber of Commerce, and later by Hard Eight BBQ in Brady are enough for me to know that this was not good eats.  In a way I’m glad that words can’t describe my emotions.

But the rest of the event was really good.  There was a broad selection of vendors hawking their stuff, the music and dance opportunities were some of the best I remember, and to see the town and remember younger, simpler times was well worth the trip.

Salud

The Labor day weekend is upon us.  With it brings the end of summer (somewhere), the beginning of school, and of the NFL season.  You have to look hard, but if you try, you can feel subtle changes.  The shortening length of the day is finally noticeable and while still miserably hot in the Sparkling City, the heat doesn’t dominate the day like it has once did.  Soon the wind will change and we’ll be blessed with cool weather.  I look forward to that morning when I’ll have to linger on my daily shuffle to pick up the paper and relish in that delicious, distinctly autumn feeling in the air.

Labor day is also a time for end of summer celebrations.  Every year in Brady, TX, they hold the World Championship Barbecue Goat Cook Off – and I plan to be there this year.  Once upon a time we fielded a team in the yearly event, but not in a while.  Seventh place was our only appearance in the top 10.  I didn’t spend the time to get the numbers, but I’d have to guess that during the festival the population of roughly 5,000 quadruples.  It’s a reason for Brady Ex-Pats to return to the roost, and touch base with those they haven’t seen in a while.  Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, they are all great for getting in touch and staying in touch.  But they’re not human touch like a handshake or a hug from a friend.  Food’s good too.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had barbecued goat, wrapped in a tortilla with onions, peppers.  A creation damn close to the proto-taco.  I’m looking forward to both the friends and the feast.

But Brady is 5 hours from the Bay City and that means a drive.  I have my traditional stopping spots on the route, usually somewhere in San Antonio to fill a growler with a fresh barley beverage to enjoy with friends.  Sometimes a bite to eat in Fredericksburg, or at a favorite Truck Stop just outside of SA that has a really good burger.  And it’s Truck Stops that have me thinking this morning.

Taco Show Host and I met up at the Corpus Christi Truck Stop and Restaurant for Taco Friday this time.  I don’t know if it happens to anyone else, but I quite often find myself talking with random people about tacos and to that end I give a shout out to the unknown recommender of this hash house.  I’d never been there so I didn’t know what to expect.  The place evoked nostalgia with three public phones in the dining room.  There was a smoking section complete with ashtrays, though no one was smoking.  And if needed, a shower could be had for $7.  A peek into the kitchen saw a well-used flat top with a guy using it well in the preparation of our breakfast.  They had a pretty good selection of tacos and I settled on a picadillo and a fajita.  Both on flour.  The food took a bit longer than usual, but it was well worth the wait.  My tacos were huge and stuffed.  I’m a fan of the picadillo taco – a humble taco of ground beef, usually in a gravy with potatoes and spices.  The Truck Stop’s offering was the best I’ve ever had.  Cooked on the flat top when I ordered it.  It was creative with fresh tomatoes and peppers and potatoes.  More hash than stew.  Instead of a thin hamburger gravy, there was a rich coating of delicious caramelized meat and vegetables.  Outstanding!  I definitely recommend it.  The fajita taco was exceptional too.  Griddled beef, onions and green peppers glistening with the magic cooked into that flat top.  The beef was tender, but not overcooked and seasoned with a good amount of black pepper.  Neither taco needed anything.  However, for professional reasons I had to try the salsa. It was delicious.  As close to home made as I’ve had in a restaurant, ever.  Tomatoes, onions, and plenty of chili.  I couldn’t get enough.  And it turns out it was made fresh earlier in the morning by our waitress.  She was attentive and friendly, as was everyone I talked to in the place.  Our coffee cups never runneth out and the coffee was pretty good.  If you had to pin me down and make me point out a deficiency, it would be the tortillas.  We debated some as to their origin:  off-the-shelf, or not.  I say not because there was too much evidence of hand in the tarp.  Maybe even an inexperienced hand.  Taco Show Host didn’t seem convinced by my evidence.

We sat, stuffed, and had a couple of cups of coffee before TSH pointed out the fly-strip, complete with flies dangling from the ceiling above my head, and still I’ll be back.  A word of advice though, let them do what they do best and order something that’s sure to be cooked on the griddle.

Salud

Our Taco Award Winner for this week is:

Jennifer Beals

Former teen model, Jennifer Beals is best known for her portrayal of “Alex” in the 1983 movie Flashdance.  She has appeared in over 50 films and more recently in the titillating Showtime series The L Word.  She is scheduled to play Chicago’s first female police chief on Fox’s Ride-Along.  This self-described “Spiritual Person” is currently married with children.

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 on a original copy of Tinikling ou ‘La madonne et le dragon to tacos@tacotopia.net.