LA TACO » Tacos

Interview With America’s #1 Taco Professor

Erich Redson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:48:20 +0000

Dr. Jeffrey Pilcher, proud practitioner of the taco lifestyle, and one of the nation’s top taco experts has spent a lifetime researching and sampling Mexican and other Latin American cuisines. All the while, he’s been documenting taco innovations and compiling them in a forthcoming book that is sure to be a big hit in the taco community. Currently a professor at the University of Minnesota, Pilcher graciously agreed to an interview with TACO.

TACO: What are the earliest known origins of the taco?

Dr. Jeffrey Pilcher: Well, if you consider the taco as just a corn tortilla with something in it, then the origins surely go back fifteen hundred years, to the pyramids of Teotihuacan, where construction workers munched tortillas and beans. But if you’re asking, what have people actually called tacos, the story becomes more interesting. Basically, there are various theories on the origins of the word taco. Some people think it comes from indigenous words, but if you want actually documentary evidence, the term dates back no further than 1891. That’s right, 1891. Manuel Payno’s novel, Bandidos de Rio Frio, is the first definitive use of the word taco. And an interesting use it is, if you want to check it out. Of course, he didn’t invent the term. He just picked it up from street slang. So where did the term really come from? My research indicates that it was first used by miners in Real del Monte, a silver mine northeast of Mexico City, in the late 18th century. And what was this first taco? Appropriately, a stick of dynamite!

TACO: Have there been distinct phases in the development of the taco?

JP: Absolutely, after the tacos de minero of the miners, there were Mexico City tacos, mostly barbacoa, in the late nineteenth century. By this time there were also tacos dorados. These two versions of soft and hard tacos spread out all over the Mexican republic, adapting to fit the various regional cuisines of Mexico. But the real innovation came with the invention of the Mexican American taco. Glen Bell claims to have invented the taco shell in the early 1950s. Wrong! If you look in the records of the patent office, you will see that the first patent for taco shells was assigned to a man named Juvencio Maldonado. That’s why I insist on calling the taco shell the Mexican American taco, not the fast food taco. The only thing Bell invented was the corporate commissary.

TACO: We know that there are many influences on the original Mexican taco including European, Middle Eastern, and local flavors. What do you think are the “building blocks” or most essential elements of today’s popular tacos?

JP: Well, start with the indigenous tortilla. And salsa. Then add the Spanish pig. Next, the Lebanese tacos al pastor. Finally, the Mexican American taco shell. All are contributions, if they’re made fresh with sazon.

Dr. Pilcher in Mexico

TACO: What historical trends have propelled the taco from regional cuisine to global powerhouse?

JP: Well, I hate to say it, but gringos took a big role in carrying the taco around the world in the post-war era. Two groups in particular, appropriately, when you think about who was actually eating tacos back in the day: surfers and soldiers. The counterculture and the military are two groups of Norteamericanos who have a disproportionate love with Mexican food. I can’t explain it, but there you have it.

TACO: What does the phrase “taco lifestyle” mean to you?

JP: When I go to Mexico City, or most anywhere else with a substantial Mexican population, I have to decide whether to check into a hotel immediately, or schlep my suitcase to a good taqueria and worry about lodging later.

TACO: Do you see “Tacology” becoming a discipline in American or Mexican Universities in the future?

JP: There are a number of promising young scholars working on tacos in Mexico, and I think the first chair in taco studies will likely be founded there. There is a taco bell distinguished professorship at Washington State University, but it is in business management and therefore doesn’t count.

TACO: Look into your Crystal Salsa Bowl: what are the emerging trends in taco culture that will catch on?

JP: The salsa bar is spreading in Mexico, and while I am always happy with that creamy taqueria guacamole, I have friends who load up their tacos with all kinds of sauces and garnishes. I will probably lose all cred here, but I’m okay with fusion. If we can eat tacos al pastor, why not Korean tacos?

Gabah ~ Wilshire Center/East Hollywood

foka — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:57:18 +0000

4658 Melrose Ave @ Gabah

Nom Nom Truck Review ~ Vietnamese Tacos

Bandini — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:29:25 +0000

The first thing I noticed was the size of the tacos. Then the julienned onions and carrots, then the slice of cucumber laid across the shell. They were so pretty I almost didn’t want to eat them. But back to the size. These are not huge tacos but by gourmet taco truck standards they are massive and by massive I mean a regular size taco. Don’t get me wrong I am a fan of the whole nouveau truck scene as much as the next guy, especially if that next guy is Aziz Ansari (he’s hilarious). But if I have one complaint with them it is sometimes the portions are small. And by sometimes I mean most of the time. So when I got my food from Nom Nom and found these two hefty bad boys on my lap I was so excited I almost emptied a whole bottle of sriracha on them.

Did the excitement come to a crashing end once your humble taco correspondent bit into the massive tacos on my lap? And by massive I mean regular sized! No! I only became more excited! KEEP READING…

Professor: Tacos are THE Global Food

Erich Redson — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:38:48 +0000

Professor Jeffrey Pilcher is one of the world’s authorities on Latin American foods, food migration, and general foodstuffs and he has come to a shocking conclusion: Tacos are the single most important food known to man. That may be overstating his case somewhat, but as the primary website trumpeting the global taco lifestyle, we feel entitled to crow a bit when academic research finally catches up to what we’ve known for years- tacos are the future of the universe. An excerpt from an article on Prof Pilcher:

You can find tacos in outer Mongolia, Amsterdam, Addis Ababa and Australia — even in outer space (the latter thanks to NASA). They have, in fact, become as ever present as the hamburger.

And that’s the rub. They no longer seem Mexican, but American, says Jeffrey Pilcher, a University of Minnesota history professor who will give a talk about “Planet Taco” on Tuesday.

Indeed, the taco revolution spread globally — and extraterrestrially — via entrepreneurial Americans and U.S. companies, not Mexicans. That might explain why, in part, the rest of the world looks at that overstuffed hard-shell taco spilling over with lettuce, tomato and Cheddar cheese and thinks “American.”

(Not so incidentally, Mexicans migrate almost entirely to the United States, Pilcher noted. If Americans hadn’t traveled with their tacos, he says he would be offering a very different history lesson.)

Fifty years ago, Mexican food could be found only in Mexico, California or the Southwest, including small roadside stands where tacos were sold. Los Angeles phone books from 1950 reflect the abundance of these taco spots. These were the very early days of food franchises. (Ray Kroc started the McDonald’s chain in 1954.) Glen Bell, the founder of Taco Bell and a fellow Californian, had an idea. Today we think of tacos as the lowest common denominator of Mexican food — well, maybe that would, or should, be nachos — but he was cutting-edge at a time when the rest of America was dining on tuna casserole, mac-and-cheese and cream of tomato soup.

Taco Task Force: LA’s Best Baja Fish Taco

bill — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:54:05 +0000

The King of Baja Fish Tacos

with all pics:

http://streetgourmetla.blogspot.com/2009/12/las-best-baja-fish-taco.html

The Taco Task Force was first and foremost assembled in the spirit of adventure and fun. I talked with several blogger friends that I thought would engender a broad range of experiences. Cathy Danh, Josh Lurie, Javier Cabral, Matthew Kang, and myself would take on the LA taco scene to give another perspective on “tacoing” in Los Angeles.

The very popular taco blogs had already turned on foodies and bloggers alike to the local taco trucks, stands, and taquerias. I had gone to many of these places in recent years to find out that they weren’t very good, nor did many resemble what I’d encountered traveling throughout Mexico. There was a complete lack of criteria, baseline, or understanding of what makes a great taco. It was more or less, ” I like this place, the tacos are good, I give it 3.5 tacos(stars)”, with no explanation why it deserved the score. The result was a comprehensive list of mediocre to bad tacos.

There are solid regional and authentic tacos in LA, and there are also taco places that make tacos unique to Los Angeles, the result of Mexican-American cultures coming together.

The main reason tacos tend to be inferior in the US is the lack of ingredients, inadequate sources of proteins, and most importantly the lack of skilled taqueros. Skilled taqueros don’t immigrate to the US, they are more employable in Mexico where stand owners hire these taco professionals. The taco trucks in LA( there are hardly any trucks in Mexico at all) are run by people who know how to make tacos, but usually they come from another line of work. They lack knife skills, don’t know how to select quality ingredients, don’t know cuts of meat, have only basic salsa making skills, lack creativity, and don’t have specialist skills like proper cooking on a vertical spit.They are also handcuffed by Angelinos’ demands for the $1 taco,making Costco,Smart ‘N Final, and other relatively inexpensive sources the supplier of taco ingredients.

Using the fish tacos at world famous El Fenix in Ensenada as a basline, which we all had the pleasure of trying, we raced across town one Sunday to sample fish tacos at five different locations in Los Angeles: Tacos Baja(East LA), Tacos El Nazo(), Senor Fish(Eagle Rock), Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada(Silver Lake), and newcomer, Ricky’s Fish Tacos(Silver Lake).

The Baja fish taco was born out of tempura technique brought by Japanese fisherman, battered fish with tailored salsas, a special cream made with mayonnaise and milk, fresh cabbage, pico de gallo, and a corn tortilla. Salsas vary, pure mayo can be used instead of the Baja style crema, and pickled cabbage is sometimes used as an alternative to fresh cabbage. These are the standard dressings. In Baja, your lard fried fish is handed to you on a warm tortilla, and you finish the job yourself.
Our judging criteria that day would be the quality of fish, authenticity, condiments, flavor, and cooking technique. The system needs a little work, but at the end of the day, or days, our results were unanimous in ranking the five locations. In that sense, the scoring worked out.

We carefully chose fish of the most popular and well known Baja fish taco places in town and ranked them as the best five Baja fish tacos in LA.

The Results
Our second stop of the day, coming in at number 5.
Taco Nazo
Taco Nazo is a local chain founded by Tony and Telma Garcia in 1978. It is well liked by many in the foodies communities and was largely selected based on its reputation on the various discussion boards.

I don’t know if this place used to be very good, or if it has remained as such all along, but this was truly a disappointing experience. For all of El Taconazo’s bravado, he’s suffers from performance anxiety

Despite the Hussong’s cantina sticker in the background,Taco Nazo’s signature item only has a base appearance of a Baja fish taco.

The condiment bar was not fresh or well kept, and the plated taco that we received had no lively vegetables to complement the fish. The chiles gueros were curiously over seasoned with pepper, not the usual pico de gallo overwhelming the elegant flavor of the blond chile.

From FoodGps(TTF scorekeeper) B=Bill(me),C=Cathy,J=Javier,JSH=Josh
Grade of Key Ingredient:JSH 1.5, C 2.5, J 2.5, B 2.5 AVERAGE 2.25/5
Condiment:JSH 1.5, C 2.5, J 2.5, B 2 AVERAGE 2.125/5
Authenticity:JSH 2.5, C 2, J 2, B 2.5 AVERAGE 2.25/5
Overall Flavor:JSH 1.5, C 3.5, J 2.5, B 1.5 AVERAGE = 2.25/5
Cooking:JSH 1.5, C 2.5, J 2, B 2 AVERAGE 2/5

OVERALL FISH TACO SCORE: 2.175/5

The flavor of this pollack was non-existent, indistinguishable from the shrimp. We actually had to take them apart to see which was which. The texture was strange, not the familiar crispy outside and tender inside.The pre-made taco was also shrouded by a mound of lackluster toppings, perhaps by design?

The 3rd stop we made together that afternoon, and number 4 on our list.
Senor Fish
Another place that I gather used to be better has a winning concept. A cartoonish mascot, and an attractive ready for franchising kind of motif have made this place a destination for years, along with their California themed menu. Lots of grilled tacos,seafood burritos, and quesadillas.

The salsa bar was very strong, with many simple but well kept items.Somebody takes good care of this station.

Where this taco lost me was in the batter,which was lacking the Baja flavor and texture.It was mushy and bland, not a proper package for an otherwise nice tasting cod.

Grade of Key Ingredient:JSH 3.5 C 4, J 3.5, B 3 AVERAGE 3.5/5
Condiment:JSH 4, C 4, J 4.5, B 4 AVERAGE 4.125/5
Authenticity:JSH 2.5, C 2, J 2, B 2 AVERAGE 2.125/5
Overall Flavor:JSH 3.5, C 3, B 2, J 3 AVERAGE 2.875/5
Cooking:JSH 3, C 2.5, B 2.5, J 3 AVERAGE 2.75/5

OVERALL FISH TACO SCORE: 3.075/5

Our last stop on our Sunday run due to the no show by Ricky’s Fish Tacos, and number 3 on our countdown:
Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada

Of all the stops we made together, and apart, BFTIE brings the most authentic Baja sensation upon delivery. A warm tortilla wrapped around crispy fried fish is handed to you to do as you will.Could this be the real deal?

I eagerly walked to the salsa bar, which is very La Salsa, a salsa bar.I mean, just put the stuff on a counter, but, alright.The salsas? Mango was everywhere except on one of the salsas. This adulterating component is more Cabo than Ensenada.Not to mention the salsas themselves were watery and lacking in balance. Old ‘n runny tomato sauce with mango, dude.The housemade crema from the dispenser was just fine, and another pleasing touch, though.

The fish is stand alone good, loaded with flavor, and the cooking station made me feel like I was at a taqueria near la quinta in Ensenada.

The tortilla was hard, though, which was just fine for miss Cathy Danh, but it was a distraction to the overall taco.

With a salsa bar makeover, Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada could really up its game. Think dried chile or roasted chile based salsas and perhaps a nice pico de gallo, oh, and a more pliable tortilla.

Grade of Key Ingredient:JSH 4.5, J 4.5, C 3.5, B 3.5 AVERAGE 4/5
Condiment:JSH 3.5 B 2.5, C 3.5, J 4 AVERAGE 3.375/5
Authenticity:JSH 2.5 J 2.5, B 3.5, C 3.5 AVERAGE 3/5
Overall Flavor:JSH 4, C 3, J 4, B 3.5 AVERAGE 3.875
Cooking:JSH 3.5, C 3, J 3, B 3 AVERAGE 3.125/5

OVERALL FISH TACO SCORE: 3.475/5

Our first stop of the day for the christening of the Taco Task Force, was the still relevant, Tacos Baja, formerly known as Tacos Baja Ensenada.Monday through Friday this is the best fish taco in town and number 2 Baja fish taco on our hitlist.

Tacos Baja

Tacos Baja has been a favorite of mine for years, ever since moving to LA and reading about them in the various articles praising the virtues of its fish tacos. I hadn’t been in while since I’d been down to Ensenada so many times this past year enjoying the genuine articles.It was great to know they still got it.

Their popular condiment bar showcases those delicious chiles gueros, properly dusted with pico de gallo(seasoned chile salt)after roasting and doused with lime.These special items are the mark of a great taco joint, you should get something on the house that is part of the folklore.

The catfish taco comes fully dressed, not in the Baja tradition, but all the components are solid. The fish is tasty and the batter nicely seasoned. The texture is as it should be, crispy light batter around a flaky fish.

I would love to see Tacos Baja create a couple of other salsas and expand upon their condiments,but the Taco Task Force unanimously agreed this was the best taco on our run that fine Los Angeles Sunday afternoon.

Grade of Key Ingredient:JSH 4, B 4, J 3.5, C 3.5 AVERAGE 3.75/5
Condiment:JSH 2.5, B, 2.5, J 3, C 4 AVERAGE 3/5
Authenticity:JSH 3.5, B 3.5, J 2.5, C 2 AVERAGE 2.875/5
Overall Flavor:JSH 3, B 3.5, J 3.5, C 4 AVERAGE 3.5/5
Cooking:JSH 4.5, B, 4, J 4.5, C, 4.5 AVERAGE 4.375/5

OVERALL FISH TACO SCORE: 3.5/5

Well, our master plan was foiled that day, Ricky was away.Thanks to some twitter stalking by the other members of the Taco Task Force, including the entreaties of Cathy Danh to please come out and taco, we finally all were able to taste the number 1 Baja fish taco north of the border.

Ricky’s Fish Tacos

Ricky Pina has altered the Baja fish taco universe in LA, ever since he showed up with his little cart and rainbow umbrella.

I initially heard about him on chowhound and questioned why someone from Ensenada would serve up a fully dressed fish taco, and not let the customer plate.But, I was definitely with Scooby Doo-like curiosity to get out there and try them myself.

Ricky uses a quality basa(genetically a catfish but from Vietnam)that looks as fresh as it tastes. These tacos are made to order, something that doesn’t even happen all the time in Ensenada.

The pico de gallo is vibrant, the mustard accented batter is made from imported Mexican wheat flour,the cabbage is fresh and razor thin, and the homemade crema is a veritable blend of mayo and 1% milk.

The fish are dipped in batter, fried in the good stuff, and carefully assembled by the master taquero. Ricky’s reasoning for plating the tacos is to maintain the hygiene of his little stand. He would have more items if he had space, but what he carries is stellar. These are delicious fish tacos, and despite not being made from dogfish or angel fish as they are in Baja, you really don’t miss a thing. His frying technique and the perfect consistency of the batter deliver satisfaction.

The one thing missing from every other place we went was balance. All elements were present here to produce a choice fish taco.

Grade of Key Ingredient:JSH 4, J 5, C 4.5, B 3.5 AVERAGE 4.25/5
Condiment:JSH 4.5 B 4, C 4.5, J 4.5 AVERAGE 4.375/5
Authenticity:JSH 3.5 J 5, B 4, C 4 AVERAGE 4.125/5
Overall Flavor:JSH 4, C 4.5, J 5, B 4 AVERAGE 4.625/5
Cooking:JSH 4.5, C 4.5, J 5, B 4.5 AVERAGE 4.625/5

OVERALL FISH TACO SCORE: 4.4/5

We are still refining our scoring system, but our group was unanimous in ranking and there was no scoring consultations. I don’t think Best Fish Tacos was that close to Tacos Baja, but this is a work in progess.

Having trekked through LA in search of the best, I conclude that I have no reason to go back to Taco Nazo, Senor Fish, nor Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada.The only unpleasant experience was Taco Nazo, but they did have beer as a consolation.

Tacos Baja is still a great place to go during the week, but weekends are made for Ricky’s Fish Tacos, the best Baja fish tacos in town by a knockout.

Ricky’s Fish Tacos

Tacos Baja
5385 Whittier Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 887-1980‎

Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada
1650 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 466-5552

Senor Fish
Eagle Rock
4803 Eagle Rock Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 257-7167

Taco Nazo
9516 Garvey Ave
South El Monte
CA 91733

Tacos El Sabrosito ~ Eagle Rock

Bandini — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:12:58 +0000

Last Tuesday night on Eagle Rock Blvd it was Kogi and Leo’s taco truck pulling in the crowds. Kogi the phenom and Leo the old dog, the favorite taco truck of Oxy students who simply refer to it as “taco truck”. And south of these wagons parked a lonely taco truck with not even a soul in sight, Tacos El Sabrosito. This was my truck. This is where I was going to eat. On this night I was more curious than I was hungry.

But the locals are set in their ways. If they want the more classic LA tacos of meat, chile salsa, onions and cilantro they will go to Rambo’s. If it’s the more savory, sloppy, guacamole on your fingers taco then it’s Leo’s or Sonia’s.

My truck is shiny and clean with no artwork just a small sign “Tacos El Sabrosito” Two squirt bottles of salsa sit next to the ordering window, a small color tv blares a Mexican gameshow, an eager taquero takes my order. I order Al pastor, asada, and lengua . The taquero repeats the order to the older hombre on the grill who looks me over. Yeah I’m a taco reporter from the Westside.

The asada is a classic LA taco- finely cut beef thats greasy and flavorful topped with onions, cilantro and the excellent salsa roja.

Read the rest on DailyTaco.org

T&T&A ~ Tony Stamolis

Erich Redson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:01:36 +0000

Tony Stamolis is reading our mind. The photographer from Fresno who currently lives in New York is about to release his second book, T&T&A (available at http://sumpbooks.com). It features gorgeous shots of beautiful naked women and beautiful mexican food. What’s the connection? If you have to ask… the taco lifestyle may not be for you. We caught up with Tony late last week to ask him about tacos and more…

TACO: You’re from Fresno, where else have you lived? What do you like most/least about each place?

Tony: Phoenix and Miami briefly, but NYC for the last 19 years. Fresno…I like EVERYTHING about Fresno!
NYC… most: the energy. Least: the ever growing Douche bag factor. The mall-world I ran from years ago, followed me here.

TACO: Where is your favorite taco?

Tony: The Carnitas at Don Pepe’s in Fresno. It’s in an old KFC building, across from the old Fresno Ag hardware location. Simple pleasures!

TACO: How do you find your models?

Tony: Friends of friends a lot of the time, but mostly I cast on the streets.

TACO: Are you supersititious? if so, how so?

Tony: I definitely believe in karma, so I try do things in this life to spread some sort of joy. I also have an OCD numbers thing. I count things. I’ve gotten a lot better with age though.

TACO: How did you get into the taco lifestyle?

Tony: I’m from Fresno, it’s a birthright!

TACO: What music are you listening to right now?

Tony: At the moment, Ernest Tubb…

More on Tony Stamolis at his official website.

Tacos Exploding in Slow Motion

Cz Bartok — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:12:41 +0000

This important video brought to you by the Society for a Better Taco Future, exploding yesterdays tacos so that new, more authentic tacos can one day be exploded in slow motion.

The Hunt Resumes: Interview with Bandini, Taco Hunter

Erich Redson — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:35:05 +0000

After a mysterious two year absence, the taco hunter known as Bandini is back with a brand new taco and street food website called Daily Taco. If you love the taco lifestyle, you’ll love Daily Taco and will make it a daily stop on the taco information superhighway. We sat down with the man himself to discuss life, tacos, kogi, and what’s on the horizon…

TACO: So good to see you back– first question, where have you been?

BANDINI: I lost my taco mojo. There were other more personal reasons why I’ve
been out of taco criticism for a couple years but I could have been
back sooner.

TACO: What is the plan with DailyTaco.org? It looks like anyone can sign
up and post articles?

BANDINI: Dailytaco.org is open to anyone to contribute whether it is reviews,
articles or commentary. The format is similar to some of the political
blogs that use the diary system. Back when I was doing the great taco
hunt I would get people asking to guest blog so when I started the new
blog I wanted to open it up to anyone.

TACO: What do you think of the phenomenon of mobile food that aren’t
traditional loncheros? Call it the Kogi Phenomenon.

BANDINI: It’s a good thing. It brings more attention to street food and I think
they are helping to remove some of the unfair stereotypes often
associated with taco trucks (terms like roach coaches etc). I guess
it remains to be seen if this phenomenon will have staying power or if
it’s just a trend. Kogi would not have been as successful if they
started as a brick and mortar. People would not wait in line for hours
. But they’ll wait in line for over an hour at the Kogi trucks because
it’s a scene. I tried kogi and I really enjoyed it but no taco is
worth waiting in line for over an hour. The whole idea of waiting in
line for hours for a taco actually goes against , to borrow your term,
the taco lifestyle. I think the taco lifestyle is about getting that
plate of tacos quick and cheap, eating them on the side of the road
and then if the tacos meet your taste buds approval going back for
more.

TACO: What’s your method for scoping out new taco spots?

BANDINI: Well in the beginning I just drove around LA. People recommended their
favorite spots. I had taqueros emailing me to come try their tacos. In
the beginning it was easy to get friends to go along with me but after
awhile it became the equivalent of “hey come see my band play” . Noone
wanted to go. People love their local taco truck but the idea of
driving 40 minutes in traffic to try another cities taco truck just
seems mad. So the vast majority of my taco adventures were a lonely
quest into the unknown, a voyage to parts of the city I had never been
to or knew anything about. In the end I preferred it that way anyway.

TACO: Worst taco ever?

The worst taco ever is hands down the carnitas taco I got from tacos
Kimberly . It was just a blob of pork fat that looked like half eaten
chicken leg. It was the worst taco in the world. [Ed: See picture below]

TACO: How do we know you won’t just disappear on us again, leaving us sad
and bewildered? Fool me once… shame on me. Fool me twice… I won’t
get fooled again!

BANDINI: Well, The Great Taco Hunt was started on a whim. I came home blind
drunk one night registered a blog and posted a mission statement how I
was going to come into everyone’s part of town and eat their tacos.
It was 2005 and we were still full swing into the Bush nightmare. The
country was fucked and I needed a taco.

I’ve put a little more thought into Daily Taco. It’s more sustainable.
I can continue the narrative of Bandini, the taco reporter while
bringing in some other voices. I’m adding a few guest bloggers and
with the dairies there’s the possibility of different points of view.

TACO: What do you think is behind the more frequent assaults on the taco
lifestyle we read about almost daily in the newspapers and websites of
the world?

I think it’s different depending on the situation. What happened in
Jefferson Parish,NO where they banned loncheros ,that was clearly
bigotry.

The situation here in LA had more to do with the influence the various
restaurant associations had over local politicians. Now that the
loncheros are organized with the formation of the loncheros
association they have some political influence. It’s not over though.
I read recently loncheros are still being ticketed by LAPD.

TACO: Thank you, Bandini. Glad to have you back in the taco game…

Tacos Arizas and “Taco Diplomacy” ~ Echo Park

S. Francona — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:13:49 +0000

Tacos Arizas is a favorite among Echo Park residents and visitors attending shows at The Echo, which is located around the corner from Arizas’ Logan St. spot. The Eastsider LA reports that:

Negotiations were set up involving Council District 13, LAPD, the truck owners and the Asociacion de Loncheros, a catering truck business group. The council office wanted the truck to move to a location away from apartments and homes. The truck owners, of course, wanted a spot nearby so they wouldn’t lose their existing customers. “As long as people know where they are, it will be okay,” said Alfredo Magallanes, an advisor to the catering truck association.

After the discussions, the owners of Arizas agreed to move the truck about a block north to the other side of Sunset Boulevard next to the Sav-A-Lot market and away from apartments and homes. “This was the first time we worked with a taco truck to have them voluntarily move to a location to address concerns of local residents,” said Garcetti’s spokeswoman, Julie Wong.

Not quite as convenient for concert-goers, but even more visible for the general public and a lot less loud for neighbors on relatively quiet Logan Street. It seems that the Lonchero association is using its newfound heft and popularity to help mobile Taqueros negotiate the sometimes hazardous road weaving through neighbors, businesses, and the City.