When I was a teenager I had a girlfriend that lived in Pasadena and every Friday night I would drive out to see her. I remember the first time I made the trip because I had to borrow my dads car and my dad got out the map book to give me directions. He made a point of telling me not get off the highway at any point until I was in Pasadena. I was to especially avoid Highland Park a point he made clear by circling the area between Downtown LA and Pasadena on the map.
A few weeks earlier my friends and I were cruising Sunset Blvd and ended up in Echo Park where some gang bangers threw a glass bottle at the back window of our car. They ended up chasing us through the side streets around Echo Park and Downtown LA. At one point they got close enough to let us know why they were chasing us- apparently one of us stared at them too long. Funny thing is after we managed to lose them we all interrogated each other to find out who it was. So Highland Park sounded close enough to Echo Park. That was good enough for me. And besides Dad said I didn't want to get off there and circled it in his map book. And Dad loved his map book so yeah fuck Highland Park.
So for the rest of the year I never got off the Highland Park exits. I don't think I would have even thought about getting off there anyway if Dad hadn't mentioned it . I didn't even know what Highland Park looked like. The off ramps were dark and looked dangerous. They weren't like other off ramps. It was the unknown. What if I pulled off and the same gangsters from Echo Park were waiting for me? " We knew you'd come back guero, You should have listened to your Dad with the maps " they would say "but you are echo park, not highland park!" I'd say. But it would be too late. I would be forced to admit to staring them down in Echo Park(yes it was me).
Coming out of the tunnels on the Pasadena 110 freeway I always felt like I was entering some strange wonderland. At home there were rules but on the road the only rule was not to get off at the Avenues. This stretch of freeway called the Arroyo Seco Highway always had a romantic feel. I would hit that first curve before the highway opened up and turn up the music and it would be bliss all the way to Pasadena. Knowing that there might be something sinister waiting in the darkness as I barreled down the highway made it even more enchanting.
Even today when I drive through those tunnels I think about the old days. Images pop into my head- Dad and his map, my girlfriend and I in Old Town, the feeling I would get driving down the Arroyo Seco Highway.
Highland Park has changed. A lot of LA has changed. I'm not sure Highland Park ever lived up to the narrative that I built of it in my mind. When you're young there's danger everywhere - always someone eager to step in front of you and ask where your from. The dangers I saw in my youth might still be there , I just don't see them anymore.
( asada, al pastor)
I was actually on my way to Pasadena this night to meet a friend in Old Town. I came out of the tunnels and hit the first bend on the 110 and thought about those old days and how I avoided Highland Park. I didn't have a lot of time so York blvd was out of the question, instead I got off at the Avenues and headed for the taco trucks that park in front of the Food 4 Less on Figueroa. I chose El Taki Taco because of the al pastor spit even though another truck nearby had a larger crowd. The al pastor was soft and tender a little crispy at the edges, the asada greasy and delicious. When it comes to tacos Highland Park rarely disappoints. The squeeze bottles of salsa, always a nice touch, came in handy as I peppered my tacos and chugged down a cold bottle of Mexican coke. Sometimes a plate of tacos puts one at ease.
I got back on the 110 and got the nostalgic feeling again. The 110 North always does it to me. The 405 puts me to sleep, the 10 makes me nervous. But with the Arroyo Seco Highway it's always bliss.
3.5/5
El TakiTaco
Figueroa St and Ave 51
Highland Park, CA 90042
tacos $1
L.A. Eastsider goes Columbo on the whereabouts of Tacos Ariza's.
The Eastsider paid a visit to the catering truck kitchen and depot in Huntington Park where Tacos Arizas is based. The trailer was sitting there at the end of a long row of trucks. One fellow food truck drivers said the owners of Tacos Arizas have taken the vehicle out but no one seems to know where.
Echo Park's Tacos Ariza's hasn't been at their usual spot lately and the loyal faithful are missing their taco fix. Is this the great echo park taco truck exodus of 2010 (see
Tacos Arabes) or is there a more reasonable explanation?
A reader writes
Tacos Arizas in Echo Park, seems to have disappeared. It used to park just north of Sunset on Logan, right next to the Walgreens parking lot. I haven't seen it for several weeks now, and I have missed it in mind, body, soul, and stomach.
Okay taco community. Lets put on our detective shoes.
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! And by more excited I really mean more excited. Yes Nom Nom , you had me at first bite. Or maybe it was the cucumber that seduced me , its subtle hints of what was to come. It lay there like a ribbon on a birthday present across the shell of the taco like a centerfold. I wanted to pull you off Mr cucumber but you pleaded to be devoured together with your taco brethren. Of course I accepted your surrender and saluted your martyrdom. It was the least I could do.
The first to go down was the lemongrass which was so beautifully delicious I only wondered what took me so long to track you down Nom Nom. Maybe I was afraid I would be eatin by the little nom nom animal? No that can't be it! Could it? I hope not! The bbq pork was next and as delicious as it was it can only play second fiddle to my new BFF the lemongrass chicken taco. Oh lemongrass taco you have won my loyalty - my belly cries out for you. I fear now that no other chicken taco will do. Until we meet again. nom nom nom nom nom .
Two things could do me in during the winter! Tacos and pizza! I have to watch it. Fitness is too important to let it go by. You need to keep fit with your extra efforts through the winter. Resist temptation.
Drink more water to keep from getting dehydrated. Exercise indoors when you cannot do it outdoors because of the
weather.
Winter will pass by but your body will stay with you into
the spring and summer. Teach your kids to be active too.
No matter what time of day you are on York Blvd you can get a good taco. It's where you'll find the El Pique and La Estrella corner that has been slinging reliable bombs of flavor for as long as I can remember. The competition heats up on the weekend with the taco tables and I've been noticing a lot of new flavor on the block lately with a Birria wagon that parks about 2 blocks east of La Estrella and a couple new (well new to me) taco wagons that have been plying their trade in this unofficial taco capitol of Los Angeles.
El Taco Naco may have the friendliest taquero out of all of them. Our man seems to have always have a smile on his face and even comes out to the table to personally ask you how your enjoying your tacos (well he did to me! Maybe he knew I was a taco reporter?) . The tacos don't quite have the greasy goodness of flavor that you'll find at La Estrella or El Pique (if I'm hung-over it's El Pique or La Estrella for sure) and the tortilla suffered from a little dryness but overall these were quite good. The carne asada was thicker in texture and had some nice flavor to it and the al pastor not from a vertical spit but about as good as one can expect sans the rotisserie. The salsa roja is ladled on top of a healthy bed of cilantro and has a peppery spiciness that peaks after a few seconds then starts to fade.
El Taco Naco comes out evenings and stays out as late as 2am. Would El Taco Naco be my first choice in Highland Park? Probably not but they would definitely be included in a taco crawl.
3/5
El Taco Naco
5236 York Blvd, Highland Park
tacos $1.25
The quesillo taco at Pili's was on. Stuffed with Oaxaca cheese, a spicy salsa roja, onions and cilantro there was a flavor here that most tacos only dream of. It may have been a one off, it may never come together again like this but on this one afternoon this was the best taco in town.
Pili's Tacos
11924 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
$1.50
Well it's 2010 and I'm ready to get rolling again. The end of the year was kind of hectic with the holidays and the parties and drinking. About this time every year I tell myself I'm not going to get drunk anymore, that I'm going to start running every morning. All that shit. It lasts about a few weeks then the running shoes go back into the closet and I'm back in the pub. But hey this year is different. Yeah yeah. Anyways before Christmas I headed down to Cesar Chavez Blvd. I was looking for the Breed St folks but It may have been an off night. I did however find a taco table with an Al Pastor spit which is always hard to resist.
The table was set up in front of Christine's Super Taco Mexican and Italian food. A lot of Taqueria's do this nowadays. It's hard to get people in the doors but once they see the smoke and meats cooking up on the grill outside they get interested.
The al pastor was cut from the spit then finished on the grill where it was mixed with onions then scooped up on to corn tortillas. Tubs of salsas were set on a separate table along with other condiments - onions, cilantro, cucumbers and radishes. For three tacos it was $3 dollars a deal that never ceases to amaze when considering the high quality and the amount of condiments available. The tacos were excellent , a bit of sweetness with the charred pork combined with salsas that were both spicy and complex. The heat from the salsas showed themselves in different ways. While the red salsa was certainly spicy it peaked right away and gently faded. But the orange salsa with it's habanero peppers never let up with the heat and I had to sweat it out a little.
The extra touch was the slices of pineapple that were cut from the spit and grilled along with the pork. I folded one of the strips of pineapple into one of the tacos and the flavors were magic.
2010 will find me back on the road searching for the good the bad and the ugly. I still have to try the legendary bean burritos at Lupe's and J&S . Yeah this a taco blog but this bean and cheese burrito side project is a little obsession of mine. Now where did I put those running shoes?
4/5
Christine's Taco Table
3818 E Cesar Chavez Blvd
tacos $1
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. The lengua is soft and not at all gamey and with the shot of lime and salsa roja it's excellent . It's the al pastor that disappoints , the pork is ground and crumbly and flavorless. But two out three is good enough. Most importantly these tacos were greasy and hot and the salsa roja flavorful and spicy. The cucumbers and radishes are a nice compliment and at $1 a taco it's hard not to like what El Sabrosito is doing here.
At any other location El Sabrosito would do ok but here on Eagle Rock Blvd the locals have spoken. It's Leo's, Sonia's and Rambo's. And on nights when Kogi comes to town the trucks looking on the outside are in for a lonely night.
Highland Park is arguably the best destination in LA for taco trucks during the daytime(and probably at night as well). The Mar Azul Mariscos truck at Sycamore Park serves up incredible shrimp cocktails and seafood tostadas and further northeast on York Blvd El Pique and La Estrella match wits serving up tasty two biters that make you reach for the nearest cold beverage. If your playing hooky from work and want to go on a taco crawl, head to Highland Park.
Yes you could just go to York Blvd and stick to El Pique and La Estrella but where is the fun in that? Your playing hooky from work and your wife is probably going over to her girlfriends house to watch "So you think you can dance like the stars" tonight. You don't have to worry about dinner so you might as well try all the trucks on the way. If that's your game plan then you're going to want to start with the first truck you see on Figueroa and if it's daylight it's the El Paisa truck parked in front of the Food 4 Less.
The tacos at El Paisa don't quite have the spice to them you will find at El Pique or La Estrella. The salsa verde on my carne asada taco was too mild and if you've been reading my blog you know that I need that heat somewhere on my plate whether it's from the salsa or a nicely grilled pepper. Even thought the salsa verde was too mild the taco really worked. The carne asada was tender and greasy and the tomatillo salsa had lots of flavor . I would definitely order this taco again(but would ask for a jalapeño on the side).
(carne asada with tomatillo salsa)
The al pastor was more like pork adobada with it's achiote marinade and cubed texture. Topped with a light chile salsa there was a little more heat to this taco compared to the asada.
At night this location is home to two other taco trucks, Tacos El Sabroso and Taki Taco Truck. There's also a tamalero known for his "tamales tamales tamales!" chant and his sidekick the etole vendor . But when it's daylight it's just the taco vendors.
3.5/5
El Paisa
5100 N Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042
tacos $1
Tacos Sinaloa is as far as I know the first traditional taco truck in LA to use twitter ( http://twitter.com/tacos_sinaloa ). Hey if you can't beat em join em. Because of their fixed location(Figueroa and Ave 55) twitter may not be as essential to their business model as it is for the more transient gourmet wagons but it's still a great way to let the LA taco populace know where you are. And if they decide to move locations it's a great way to keep fans in the loop.(see my previous post on Echo Park's Tacos Arabe)
I had heard of Tacos Sinaloa before but when I was told they were on twitter I had to head out to Highland Park and try the tacos. It was worth the drive, the tacos were excellent.
(carne asada and al pastor)
The tacos are nicely balanced - a mild avocado salsa and salsa roja on top of well seasoned meats. You get a good mix of flavor with each bite - the coolness of the avocado salsa matching wits with the spiced al pastor. The al pastor is not cut from a vertical spit but one can tell it has been carefully prepared and well marinated. The side of grilled onions are a nice compliment.
(al pastor)
Carne asada is on point as well. On this taco the avocado salsa has more to say without the spice from the al pastor vying for attention. The beef is subtle and you can really taste the more complex flavors of the salsas.
If you want something a little more hearty order a vampiro, a crispy corn tortilla topped with meat, cheese and salsa or if you have the appetite order the chorreada , a traditional Costa Rican antojito made from pancake and stuffed with meat or potato and cheese filling.
Tacos are a deal at $1 each and with all the competition in Highland Park these tacos rank right up there with the best of them. If you want a taco with a shot of spicy salsa roja you may want to head to La Estrella or El Pique on York but for maximum flavor and for lovers of avocado salsa it's Tacos Sinaloa.
I've yet to have the pleasure to try their tacos but several readers have emailed me that Tacos Arabes, a truck that parked at the corner of Logan and Sunset has not been seen in months. According to these regulars the truck just vanished over night. Tacos Arabes is likely still out there but may have found another location. (This is a good reason for even static taco trucks to use social media like twitter. )
If anyone has seen Tacos Arabes or if you know the folks at Tacos Arabes email me or leave a comment.
Boyle Heights food vendors try to survive as city crackdown intensifies
Individuals selling carne asada, tamales, flautas and steamed tacos at a Breed Street parking lot were dispersed weeks ago. They hope to set up a legal weekend farmers market near their old location.
By Maeve Reston
November 17, 2009
Early on an October evening, their cars began filling a city parking lot on Breed Street, less than a block from well-lighted shops along Cesar Chavez Avenue in the busiest commercial corridor of Boyle Heights.
The street vendors, arriving to sell carne asada, tamales, flautas and steamed tacos, once created a culinary destination known to draw hundreds of customers. But on this night, even as people lined up on the sidewalk, many of the vendors waited by their cars, some concealing their wares in foil-lined trays in their trunks. Like clockwork, a Los Angeles police officer pulled up in a black-and-white cruiser and briskly ordered them to pack up, warning that he would be back to make sure they did.
The impromptu -- and illegal -- nighttime food market drew the attention of Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar more than a year ago after neighbors complained about noise, trash, and crowded sidewalks slick with cooking oil. As the economy soured, nearby businesses selling similar foods also asked the police for help addressing unlicensed vending. Working with Huizar's staff, L.A. County health inspectors and the Los Angeles Police Department began enforcing state food safety laws and the city's ban on street vending, targeting vendors cooking over open flames.
Mugger With Machete Takes Man's Tacos
Man steals tacos and nothing else By MATT BARTOSIK
Updated 12:49 PM CST, Tue, Nov 17, 2009
Look out, Hamburglar. There's a new fast-food thief in town, and he's pilfering tacos.
About 10 p.m. Sunday, a man was walking to his vehicle near Villa and Fulton Streets in Elgin. He was carrying 16 tacos he had just purchased for $41.
But he would never get to enjoy his tasty treats.
A man in a black ski mask and yellow hoodie came running out of a vacant building and threatened the victim with a machete.
"He was walking back (to his vehicle) with his tacos. A guy came out with a machete and took his tacos," said Elgin Deputy Chief Jeff Swoboda.
There are some tacos in this city that are worth going through whatever takes to get to. El Matador is one of them. Parked on the lot of a auto mechanic at the corner of Western and Lexington nightly El Matador is LA taco truck royalty.
But if you're anywhere south of Olympic or West of La Brea or east of Hoover getting to El Matador can be a pain in the ass. Even getting here from Hollywood can be bad craziness .But El Matador is the Mt Kilimanjaro of taco trucks. No one said it was going to be easy.
Once you get to the intersection of Western and Lexington you are presented with your next challenge . Where do I fucking park man? If you're lucky enough to find a spot on the lot next to the truck pull right up. But chances are some jack ass in a suburban has decided to take up half the lot while he wanders around the parking lot eating a burrito and screaming through his blue tooth.
There are two trucks that park on this lot, Mi Teresita and El Matador. It is odd to find two trucks that park so closely together but it's not unheard of. Taco trucks are usually territorial and do not live in harmony like the nouveau trucks do. El Matador is on the North side of the lot.
Another sign of a great taco truck and a confident taquero(or perhaps a nod to the old country) is how you pay for your tacos. If you get your tacos para aqui then you pay when you are done eating. You may want to try different meats and start with two tacos . Go for it and just settle your bill in the end.
The star of the tacos is the salsa. It is spicy yet so flavorful and when the spice fades your palate is left with the lingering flavor . The carne asada is charred, tender and perfectly salted and paired with the salsa roja . The al pastor charred and spiced and so good that makes me briefly forget about the traditional al pastor spits I have been to. The tortillas are not homemade yet they are the perfect vehicle to carry all this majesty to ones lips.
So make the trip to El Matador. If you live in Venice and you like tacos you must go to El Matador. You live in Santa Monica? El Sereno? Go to El Matador. Culver city? El Matador! Yes even if you're in Highland Park you must go to El Matador.
5/5 El Matador
1174 N Western (Western and Lexington)
East Hollywood
tacos $1.25
Tacos El Rey De Oros parks at the corner of Whittier and Arizona Ave in the belly of East Los Angeles. Head east on Whittier Blvd from here and you will run into a wave of Raspado trucks selling those ice cold slushes topped with fruit and cream. On a hot day there is nothing better. Just west of here is the Evergreen Cemetery.
At Tacos El Rey De Oros tacos are only 75c each. Three tacos and a can of grape soda was $3. The pastor and asada tacos came fully loaded and topped with onions, cilantro and a light spicy chile salsa. I preferred the asada which was a classic LA street taco with finely cut beef and just enough grease to keep the tortillas hot.
During the day Whittier Blvd has a few roaming taco truck but the area really comes alive at night when the taco trucks and wagons can set up shop without having to worry about the parking police. The unofficial taco mecca of LA is less than 3 miles to the west and the famed Tacos Baja Ensenada is about a mile east on Whittier. There is no shortage of great tacos in the area and at 75c each there is no shortage of great deals.
3/5 Tacos El Rey De Oros
Whittier Blvd & Arizona Ave
East LA
tacos 75c each
I always thought if I owned a taco stand I would put a dinosaur on the roof. It's either that or multiple bulls heads on the walls. Hey you gotta let them know who's boss. But I never thought of having an over 5 zillion sold sign. As my friends from the other side of the pond would say, that's bollocks.
Michoacan style carnitas is slow cooked in oil or fat until the outside is crispy with the inside trapping in all the juicy flavor. This all sounds wonderful and when it's done right it's the best taco meat filling you can find but most of the time the carnitas I eat is just alright. It may have the porkyness but there aren't those crispy bits I can gnaw on. This carnitas fell somewhere in between. It was juicy and had some flavor but not dinasour or bulls head worthy. What saved the taco from mediocrity was the salsa roja. The roja perked the tacos up and brought some fire to my lips. I had an horchata on ice to cool my lips.
Depending what time of day you're at Carnitas Michoacán #3 you'll run into a different crowd. During the day it's day laborers, working men and women. After hours it's a more rebellious crowd.The menu is extensive with items like nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas to go with the standard tacos, burritos and tortas. They're also known for their weekend Menudo, that legendary hangover elixir.
3/5
Carnitas Michoacan #3
741 S Soto St
Los Angeles, CA 90023
tacos $1.25
The quesillo taco at El Paladar Oaxaqueno is an example of the taco's versatility. Yes technically you can wrap anything between a tortilla and call it a taco. The taco has very few rules. We may all have our own rules of what a great taco is and we may be stubbornly stuck in our ways. Well my friends I am here to tell you it is time to add some variation to your life and order the quesillo taco at the El Paladar Oaxaqueno truck in West LA.
(quesillo taco $2
They start with two corn tortillas and a black bean paste, add the quesillo, a squirt of salsa roja , a slice of tomato and fresh avocado. The balance between the warm beans and the coolness of the tomato and avocado works perfectly. The salsa roja provides the spice.
(al pastor taco with salsa roja)
El Paladar Oaxaqueno is the only taco truck on the Westside that has an al pastor spit so if it's meat tacos your looking for stick to the pork.
If a couple tacos isn't enough do yourself a favor and order the Tlayuda, a crisp flour tortilla stuffed with your meat of choice, black beans, avocado and salsa. This is Oaxacan street food at it's finest.
4/5
El Paladar Oaxaqueno
Barry Ave and Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Nightly after 8pm
tacos $1.25
quesillo taco $2
On the way home from La Estrella in Eagle Rock the other day I decided to stop at one of my favorite Highland Park taco trucks, El Pique. It had been about a year since I had been to El Pique and I was curious if they were still dishing out those tasty flavor bombs.
El Pique parks roughly 50 yards west of another La Estrella truck. The La Estrella truck was packed while El Pique was deserted. Sometimes it's the other way around. Sometimes both are mobbed.
There is an addictive quality to the La Estrella salsa roja that keeps the masses coming but El Pique's salsa roja isn't too shabby either. It's not as spicy as La Estrella's but it compensates with more flavor. You can't go wrong at either truck. Both are fantastic. As usual though whenever you find two trucks that park so close to each other each truck will have their loyal fans.
I finally checked out Dante's Mexicattesn in Monterey Park. Dante's is known for their crunchy tacos and red chile burritos. So what did I order? Carne asada taco and bean and cheese burrito. Lately finding excellent bean and cheese burritos has been a side project of mine. There's something magical that happens when biting into a great bean and cheese burrito that I can't explain. Maybe it's just nostalgia.
It's hard to beat the green chile bean and cheese burrito from Al and Bea's.It's my favorite burrito ever and the bean and cheese burrito at Dante's doesn't come close. The first couple bites showed promise but ultimately the burrito was a failure. As I munched my way through there was a serious lack of cheese with every bite just a mouthful of beans. Once it became apparent that this was how the rest of the burrito was going to be I gave up on it and unwrapped my carne asada taco.
