“When I was climbin up that little fuckin’ hill, the dirt kept crumbling, so I would lose grip. When I finally made it and stood up, my can fell outta my pocket, and back to the bottom…this happened twice, believe it or not….but I stayed the course, and got my shit done about the same time jts and 300+ finished their poster pastin’ across the street….” ~ REKOIL J.D.I.-R.T.H.
No Tacos
El Tio Carnitas Restaurant ~ 1903 N. Long Beach Blvd. Compton, CA 90221 ~ (310) 635-3587 (Taco Guide)
“Tio” is what my 2 year old niece calls me; though, for a while, everybody was “Tio”. And lots of us are. When she intones those two magic syllables with a teethy grin, it fills me with a sense of mischief, and “Tio” becomes me. Today is El Tio Carnitas. Note the sign- a pig who’s waving happily from inside a cooking pot is what any two year-old dreams of carnitas. CARNITAS spelled as big as a house, a long house. Inspired by taco compadre Daniel Hernandez, a devotee of carnitas who praises its consistent goodness, I entered the house of carnitas just across the street from the Compton Fashion Center.
The colors on the outside of Tio’s–yellow, orange, peach, green–absorb the harsh light of the sun baking their surface. Stepping inside Tio’s, the light is luminous and soft. Sun shows from windows on all sides and from the skylights high above our heads. These high ceilings help cool the air inside and create a great room full of light. On a ledge under the image of Mary is a tiny bonsai tree. If it can respire, I can breathe. What catches my eye, though, is a loaded juke box, loved and stocked with all your favorites. But, how could I interrupt your favorite soap opera talking from the T.V!
I think this is “Tio”. He is certainly a rootsy gentleman who exhuberated peace and welcome. “Tres carnitas tacos, por favor.” If you love to see your carnitas chopped down, look here and feel the sound of the chopping block shaped by stellar acoustics. “Tio” packs up three weighty portions of carnitas “para llevar” and the price is right.
Would you take three tacos to go without eating at least one before you leave? To know what you’re carrying? I begin with limes, juicy stones of citrus tang sprayed and juiced over the carnitas. This salsa is made with fresh ingredients, its fire water fully saturated with the sabor of tomatoes, chopped bits of serrano chile, y mas. All is held together by two deftly prepared corn tortillas- the perfect grip.
Inhaling the juices of Tio’s carnitas tacos, I scorched my throat with chile burn and instinctively closed the deal in my jaws with acute pleasure. The blend of lime, salsa, and carnitas juice is a mouth embracing flavor rush. Instantly you recognize the quality of this meat by its juice emanation. Experience the signature consistency of the carnitas. I like them tender with with crispy fringes, almost chewable, but not chewy. I wanted to suck the flavor from each bite as I ground it to bits in my mandibles. I was stuffed with two tacos and palmed the third to go. This G ride parked outside was not mistaken for my own junker. Perhaps it belongs to “Tio”.
Upon walking to the car, I was gladdened by the lovingly tended plants landscaping the beds around this gated parking lot side of the building. This area of Compton was farmland in the early 1900s. Maybe a pig who wallowed on this very spot was once happily cooked into carnitas. Carnitas El Tio feels rooted. Give thanks and praises.
(1 tacos)
Saturday January 27th ~ 12:00 PM NOON ~ Rally @ Democratic Party Office (888 S. Figueroa) and march to the Federal Building (300 N. Los Angeles) ~ Timed to coincide with marches across the nation
Large, diverse coalition of So-Cal activist groups organize and march to bring the troops home now and stop funding the war.
No Tacos
Taco Man says: Stay in School– Do Tacos, not Drugs
Fish Taco Death Match
Great title on this post from Das Ubergeek on Chowhound. For an ostensibly german computer nerd, this dude knows his fish tacos and helpfully provides addresses to spread the goodness for his fellow hounds. Eventually he concludes that between El Taco Nazo and Tacos Baja Ensenada, it’s tough to pick a winner because both are so good. I have never been to ETN, but TBE is one of my favorite spots to hit when I’m East of Downtown.
New Taco Review from Bandini
Our man in the Iron Taco Mask hits up a truck I know well as I used to work nearby. He finds the tacos pretty good, but the Cemitas a bit dry. I’m no cemitas expert, but in my experience tortas always come with mayo, which I fucking hate. Normally I try to keep this space clean and family friendly, but mayonnaise is a disgusting, filthy product designed to ruin everything it touches with its eggy, oily taste and flavor. I slather my tortas in Tapatio to make sure they’re not too dry.
Sweet New Taco Review Site
This may be old to the rest of you, but it’s new to me. GoodDoings does good reviews of taco trucks and drops taco wisdom here and there for newer practicioners of the taco lifestyle. They’re fans of Taco Zone in Echo Park so they’re alright with me. Hey, DoingsPeeps, let’s get some tacos sometime!
Betty Crocker Loves the Tacos
Here’s a recipe from Betty Crocker for slow-cooked chipotle soft tacos. Betty is getting hip with the scene, next thing you know she’ll be reporting for taco and writing nug reports. Actually on closer inspection, the recipe sounds kinda nershty.
Techno n Tacos
Michigan’s latest hipster craze is to pack a bunch of young people in a room, listen to techno, and eat mass quantities of tacos. I’m more of a slow-jams guy myself but this is a trend I can get behind in a big way. LA hipster promoters, where is the ____ n tacos night? The Gold Room is the only place I know where free tacos are mixed with music and alcohol.
No TacosThursday January 25th
Art Los Angeles @ Barker Hangar ~ 3021 Airport Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90405 ~ A major fuckload of cutting-edge, contemporary art up your azz with over 30 participating galleries ~ 12-7PM ~ Through Sunday ~ $15- for 1-day pass
Glastonbury Film Premiere & After-Party @ Fine Arts Theatre ~ 8556 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 ~ 7:30PM ~ Free Parking, cocktails, & film ~ RSVP: cokezerofilmsla@cornerstonepromotion.com
The Heartless Bastards @ The Knitting Factory ~ 7021 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 ~ 8PM ~ $15
Friday January 26th
The Shins @ Amoeba ~ 6400 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 ~ 6PM ~ FREE!
TEN @ Casa 0101 ~ 2009 E. First St. Boyle Heights, CA 90033 ~ An exciting evening of fresh, new ten-minute plays by tomorrow’s writers & directors graduating from this year’s program ~ Fri-Sat @ 8PM, Sun @ 3PM ~ $10 suggested donation $5 for Boyle Heights residents
The Dying Crooners @ Old Town Pub ~ 66 North Fair Oaks Pasadena, CA 91103 ~ 10:30 PM (other bands starting at 8:30PM, but these headliners are killers) ~ FREE
P.O.S. @ Knitting Factory ~ 7021 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 ~ Punk-rock hip-hop ~ $10-12 ~ 9 PM
Fader Magazine Issue #43 Release Party @ Rec Center Studio ~ 1161 Logan St. Echo Park, CA 90026 ~ w/ free Budweiser, sets by DJ Pubes and DJ Blue Jemz, also performances by Ty & Kory, Ta’raach, & Georgia Anne Muldrow w/ Dudley Perkins ~ 9-12:30PM ~ RSVP by Friday at 3PM: F43@thefader.com
Ozomatli @ Key Club Morongo ~ 49500 Seminole Rd. Cabazon, CA
No Tacos
