« Hansen's on NPR | Main | JeeZUS, don't DO that while I'm sleeping »
July 31, 2006
How to make a Texan homesick
In a word: tacos.
The taco trucks that are ubiquitous all over Texas have arrived in New Orleans to feed the new Latino labor force here, and since it's been a few weeks since we've had any Mexican food at all, we needed to try one out, so Liam and I headed up to the Walfuckingreens parking lot at Carrollton & Claiborne, where the smell of refried beans wafting across the lot instantly tweaked a little pang of Texas homesick feeling in my stomach.
We were the only gringos in line. There was only one other English-speaker, an elderly black man who was clearly confused by the whole thing. I managed enough Spanglish to order six tacos and a bag of sodas and we headed off home. (Need to remember: "Coke" means nothing outside English, but "Coca Cola" is universal.)
I got two al pastor tacos, plus four beef for the kids. The al pastor was awesome, grilled pork with lots of onion and cilantro and pineapple just like they do in Texas. The beef was shredded beef (and maybe tongue?) with onion and cilantro. The corn tortillas were spectacular, the kind that make you never want another flour tortilla ever again.
I meant for this to be a picture blog post, but, uh, well, we were hungry and, uh, well....
Posted by ray at July 31, 2006 1:29 PM | Permalink
Categories: [food | new orleans | texas ]
Comments
Slimbolala has a pic (from a different stand) here.
Posted by: ashley Morris at July 31, 2006 2:23 PM
Yeah, that's the stuff.
It's nice to have Mexican food finally go legit in this town.
Posted by: Ray at July 31, 2006 2:25 PM
My mom is from New Mexico and I grew up eating home made tacos. I've been making my own for years. Calling taco filling in a flour tortilla a taco is blasphemy.
Posted by: TravelingMermaid at July 31, 2006 5:42 PM
How do you make a Texan living in CA homesick? Start with that title, then describe what I know is good food. CA- doesn't even know what Tex-Mex means... That's real blasphemy- to try Mexican food in San Francisco.
Posted by: Doll at July 31, 2006 9:01 PM
Oh man! I've been there. The only friggin' gringo in line.
So here's the question: I haven't back to one of those stands because I got the willies. I started thinking, well nobody's checking them for cleanliness (typical New Orleans -- they probably fired all the health inspectors). What if I got hepatitis or something. But I'm dying to go back. I'll eat anything off the street in Latin America and I've never had a problem. I'm just chicken now for some reason. You think it's okay?
Posted by: Schroeder at July 31, 2006 10:38 PM
It's not going to be any more or less dangerous than eating a seafood po-boy from some dump on Magazine. Fuck, it's GOT to be better than Nacho Mamas.
I've been food poisoned four or five times in the last 10 years; two of those were at Popeyes, one at KFC. And twice I did myself in, both times on green mussels.
It was kind of nice being the only gringo in line. New Orleans can use more Latino culture the same way Austin needs more black folks.
Posted by: Ray at July 31, 2006 11:40 PM
What's wrong with flour tortillas? Besides the fact that you can't get a decent one outside of South Texas?
Posted by: Hiromi at August 1, 2006 12:08 AM
I like flour tortillas, but a good lovely soft corn tortilla is like the Holy Grail. The gap between wretched and perfect is much greater with corn than with flour.
Posted by: Ray at August 1, 2006 7:50 AM
Before my family moved here we lived in Mexico for 16 years. I was thinking that SOMEONE in blogger land has to get down to business and actually write a review of the Taco Trucks. I will translate for the interview if anyone wants to go up close and personal at the Taco truck
Posted by: Karen at August 1, 2006 8:09 AM
The gap between wretched and perfect is much greater with corn than with flour.
Are you kidding? Every flour tortilla within the confines of Houston is a gummy horror. I don't even bother in Austin. But go south, and they're light, fluffy, and very subtly layered since they're made with lard as God intended.
Posted by: Hiromi at August 1, 2006 9:20 AM
Chip never seems to much like New Orleans food, so maybe when we're visiting next weekend we'll stop at a taco truck so he can get something yummy. I love al pastor tacos so I wouldn't mind a bit. I like corn tortillas when they're good, but it's so hard to find good ones in Austin.
Posted by: Jette at August 1, 2006 2:56 PM
Post a comment