[dropcap size=big]W[/dropcap]hen the guys at Perro 110 hand you one of their tacos perrónes, or “perros,” you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed by the monstrosity of these tacos.
Gargantuan and splattered in a muddle of grilled mozzarella, peruano beans, guacamole, onions, chipotle crema, salsa roja, and cilantro. Tender, smoky carne asada spills from both ends, leading to visions of a nice, long nap and a few badges of salsa-stained honor on your t-shirt, jeans, or car seat.
Though the signature item at this dedicated South Central [tacos] perrónes stand might look intimidating, rest assured your handmade flour tortilla can bear the load and every ingredient plays a discernible part in your impending pleasure.
Perros 110 is the creation of Luis and Pablo Galvan, two brothers raised in the neighborhood who are getting a big assist from their mother’s skills for making flour tortillas from scratch. Luis, 36, is a contractor by trade; Pablo a guitar player and singer/songwriter of corridos by night. When he reached 18 this past January 10—the date for which Perros 110 is named—it was his older brother that pushed him towards his taquero destiny.
“I told him, ‘Look, either you get a job or you start a business,’” Luis tells Taco.
Pablo landed on the idea to sell mom’s flour tortillas. But given the hard work of jumping into the competitive tortilla arena, finding an adequate stage through his own taco stand was a logical first step.
“We trained for a month, just cooking the best meats we could find to make the best tacos possible and show off mom’s tortillas, which everyone loves,” Luis explains. The family has passed a considerable amount of time in Baja, where their Michoacán-raised mother, Angelina, owned a small restaurant called La Tia Gela in Tijuana, where she still resides.
Their all-time favorite taco is the signature perrón at Felipe Nuñez’s celebrated restaurant, Tacos El Yaqui, in Rosarito. It is the inspiration for their own stand, which debuted February 2nd and focuses strictly on perrónes and quesadillas featuring marinated ranchera beef they buy locally and grill over mesquite wood at home before hauling to the block.
Principal to the experience are sizable cuts of tender ranchera, the king cut of backyard carne asadas in L.A.
“I couldn’t get these tacos in L.A.,” Luis recalls. “So we decided to make them ourselves. Our meat is different and in my opinion, our tortillas are better, even though Yaqui’s is still my favorite taco.”
They initially found success with passing students outside of USC Village. Several even approached them about expanding the business. COVID-19 quickly dashed that scene, pushing Perros 110 further east to the streets the two knew best. “Our customers know it’s a different kind of taco,” Luis says of guests’ general unfamiliarity with perrónes. “As soon as they try it, everybody’s coming back with family members or friends, which makes us really happy.”
The tacos, in addition to being huge, are definitely worth seeking out on Saturdays and Sundays, when the stand opens on Central Avenue just below Vernon Avenue. Every ingredient shines through the perceived chaos of the whole. Griddled mozzarella provides a salty, gooey backbone while soft pintos call the flavors back to earth, chipotle crema and a sizable scoop of refreshing guacamole, and the salsa roja is hot.
Principal to the experience are sizable cuts of tender ranchera, the king cut of backyard carne asadas in L.A. It stands out with the pronounced smokiness expected from the firewood they use as fuel. The juicy, peppery flap steak tumbles out of every taco, allowing you to scoop them up for bonus morsels after you’ve engulfed your taco.
“Those tortillas, man. I guess they’re why we got fat...”
Perro 110’s secret weapons, of course, are the flour tortillas Luis and Pablo grew up on, just around the corner, at home. “Those tortillas, man. I guess they’re why we got fat,” Luis laughs. “They’re different than everybody’s, just delicious.” They are sturdy enough to hold the abundance of ingredients together, but agreeably pliant, with a pleasant snap, light chew, and scarcely discernible sweetness swathing the entire taco.
Angelina makes the tortillas using butter, salt, and Mexican flour, leaving the dough to sit out for a few hours before she shapes each one by hand. The good son that he is, Pablo makes a weekly trip to Tijuana to visit, bringing 250 tortillas back to L.A. each time he goes.
While the family’s immediate concern is working to get mom back to the States after several difficult years apart, their business plan is to build Perro 110 slowly, with dreams of future franchising in their long term vision.
Try them now. Then you can say you knew them back when.
Perro 110 ~ Sat & Sun 12-8pm ~ 4505 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90011
