Thanks to Chris Dye for this guest post from the mean streets of Hell-EH!

This spot in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, “Tacos Villa Corona” is one of my favorite taco joints, it is also the favorite of many Los Angelenos and because of it’s meatless menu it serves a wide variety of people.

My favorite is the standard Asada Taco (Steak) their home made hot sauce is kickin’ and it is simply served with cilantro and white onion. My second would be the Papas Tacos (Potato) and I would have to say this is probably their best seller, not many places serve this and it is very popular.

If you are in Los Angeles and get a chance to stop by “Tacos Villa Corona” you will not be disappointed and the prison art is only $25.00.. more photos after the jump!

and be sure to check out Chris Dye’s music – he is a super talented songwriter and performer from LA who now lives in Lockhart, TX – home of the Purple Bee Crew..

TacoTown had an absolute BLAST at the BACON TAKEDOWN this past Sunday at Emo’s during the 2010 SXSW Interactive conference.

The 22 Bacon-centered entries ranged from ridiculously meaty – Frank Mancuso of Saint Arnold & his Bacon Explosion - to the sinfully sweet – Laura Finger’s Bacon Cups filled with peanut butter chocolate pudding, topped with banana & maple glaze). Not to mention Bacon Booze! Lucky 13 Mixology served up killer Bacon Bloody Mary’s…and it would be an Austin takedown with out some tacos! Absolutely NOT. That’s where we come in…So, what did we make??

Crack taco - Our Winning Entry (credit Nelson Flores onthe last one)

Crack Tacos!
Maple blueberry glazed bacon inside a fresh flour tortilla (made w/ bacon fat),
topped with blueberry-habanero hot sauce – ftw.

And to top it all off- We Won!
TACO TOWN took home 1st place in the Judges category and 2nd place in the people’s choice!

——————————

BIG BIG ShatOut to: Arnold Perez- our partner in crime and official chef of Purple Bee Crew. Arnold was the ever-smiling brown fellow rolling out over 250 fresh tortillas LIVE on-site for the hungry carnivores! We couldn’t have done this without him…really…

Big ShatOut to: Takedown honcho Matt Timms – Let’s do a TACO takedown next year, Matt!!

Big ShatOut to: The esteemed judges- Local food-blog-queen Addie Broyles and Bon Appetit Magazine’s Emily Fleischaker.

Big ShatOut to: Nelson Flores of show me your taco for sharing that last bacon photo with us.. check out his great taco blog

Big ShatOut to: our old pal Hilah Johnson’s and her Caballero Candy: a Chocolate bacon Fantasy – which narrowly beat TacoTown for the People’s Choice 1st place – also be sure to check out Hilah’s badass online cooking show.

Here’s The Official Results:

Judge’s Choice
#1 Tacotown.org – Crack Bacon Tacos
#2 Vanessa & Lisa Blackwell – Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie
#3 Amanda Joyner – Bacon Jam

People’s Choice:
#1 Hilah Johnson – Bacon Chocolate
#2 Tacotown.org – Crack Bacon Tacos
#3 Josh White - Avocado Bacon Salad on Toast

more coverage:
Takedown Website
Addie Broyles Coverage for Austin360
Hilah’s Awesome Video of the event

TacoTown is starting a new weekly taco lunch excursion – Taco Turrsdays! make sure you are our fan on facebook then be on the lookout for invites to meet us around town for some Thursday taco tastings..

for the inaugural run, we hit up the trailer scene on south congress near stassney.. site of the recent taco trailer murder..

First up was Chilango’s.. we had been here before and this visit was on par with last time .. the al pastor taco ($1.75) was good – flavorful and meaty, and the carne guisada was decent – the flavor was a little bland but he meat was tender – no dryness.. stay away from the fajita beef!.. no bueno. Chappy had a $1 cup of mexican coffee that was surprisingly good with a nice cinnamon flavor.

Next up was Tacos Linda, which was only 50ft. away and the site of the aforementioned murder.. the trailer was the same (it still had the ” La Surena” sign written on the side), but it was under new ownership. When asked, the owner said they weren’t really bothered by what had happened .. fair enough.. besides, it all makes sense to me now – their tacos really are to die for.. (too soon? sorry  :-/ )

Tacos Linda served up $1.75 tacos on handmade tortillas.. they were the highlight of our Turrstay.. as was the al pastor that edged out Chilango’s on flavor..
the owner and cook were friendly and attentive.. they even made us some free tacos before we left.. some tacos Campechanos – bistek and chorizo mixed and served on a freshly-made corn tortilla.. they were awesome! .. they serve their salsas wrapped in little sandwich baggies.. funny. We heard that the weekends are the best time to go to Tacos Linda because they have special goat barbacoa and fresh tamales.. The assortment of tortas on the menu also looked promising.. We will definitely have to return for a followup..

Lastly, we decided to swing by Antojito’s Mexicanos on south first near Clifford Dr. ..  Cabeza went for the Chicharron taco.. total fail.. I tried the al pastor.. moderate fail.. shoulda quit while we were ahead.
til next Tursday!!

Murder Scene: La Sureña Taco Trailer (credit AAS)

Austin Police are still searching for the gunman who shot and killed a 43 year-old employee Sunday afternoon at the La Sureña Taco Trailer (translation: “The Southern”) on South Congress near Stassney. {google street view}.

Hispanic male in his mid-20s to early 30s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a thin build, wearing a yellow shirt under a dark jacket and dark baseball cap, walked up to the taco stand about 3 p.m. and shot the man working inside, police said. The employee was pronounced dead at the scene. statesman article >

TacoTown has never tried La Sureña, but it’s about 100 feet away from Chilango’s, which is easily one of the best taco trailers in Austin.  We assume its a newer operation, cuz it seems to be in the same spot that used to be Taqueria “Angel”…

The suspect is still “on the runs“, and motive for the shooting is still unclear, though we highly suspect the chorizo.

WELL……on 2nd thought:  While TacoTown has never claimed to be a “classy” outfit, we DO apologize for the light-hearted comments on this subject.  Our hearts REALLY DO go out to the family of the victim and to all other mobile vendors in Austin.  Stay safe you guys.

-cabeza

palindrome

Our buddy Phil gets the ultimate tacotown stamp of approval™ for his costume at Phish’s Festival 8…TACOCAT!!

here’s the original, in case you live in a cave.

cabeza

Austin’s most popular gringo taco trailer & mobile food pioneers TORCHY’S TACOS turns 3 years old this week. To celebrate, they’re throwing a Birthday Party this Thursday evening at their non-mobile location on the corner of South 1st & El Paso.  FREE KEG BEER will be served from 7-10pm along with fiddle music from teenage prodigy Ruby Jane Smith.

Don’t forget about movie nights up the road at Torchy’s South Austin Trailer Park (1311 s. First). Tonight’s feature film is GroundHog Day

-cabeza

We have been to the Rio numerous times in the past.. The atmosphere and drinks – always good.. but the food- usually hit and miss.. Well, with the help of new management and an exciting new menu, it looks like they’ve stepped up their game and are ready to challenge the other downtown metro-mexuals like Garrido’s, La Condesa, Maria Maria, Manuels.  In addition to a variety of tasty margaritas, the food blogging elite in attendance were treated to samples of Mahi Mahi tacos, Steak tacos, Grilled 9-pepper Shrimp, and fresh-made guacamole.. Everything we tasted was outstandingly fresh and prepared with an attention to detail and flavor that truly impressed us.  Props to the new management at Rio Grande.. we will be back for a full meal soon.

Blackened Chicken and Cream Cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, then deep fried and covered with queso

I recently had the pleasure of making it back to my hometown of Orlando, FL for the July 4th weekend and was able to hit up an old school Mexican joint that we used to frequent in high school. The place is called PR’s Taco Palace and it definitely was, and still is, a nice little hole in the wall restaurant. All the original wood and smells therein still remain embedded.

Now PR’s as far as I can recall, was always thought of for its “train track tequila” deals. To explain… PR’s was built about 50 feet from the tracks that run through Winter Park. Back in the day when the train used to come screeching by, they would come around with a cart of tequila shots for FREE. Of course it was, and still is, Jose Cuervo… which I refuse to touch any more, period. Except now, they’re not free any more, just discounted. So this time when the train came by while we were there, I just opted for Patron just to keep with the tradition of at least shooting some kind of agave booze.

As for the food at PR’s, not amazing, but traditionally tasty none the less. I always roll with their favored gut bomb called the “Fundido”. The Fundido is simply blackened chicken and cream cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, then deep-fried and topped with queso. So as you can imagine this thing is amazing for the sole reason that it contains the words “cream cheese, queso, and fried”. I followed suit of my good buddy and only got the mini-Fundido as the regular sized one is something that would have created leftovers that woulda sat in my buddies car for the entire rest of the evening while we were at the bars. Not to mention I was with good friends that I hadn’t seen in a while and the dinner turned more into a tequila-thon than a food event.

I would write more about what everyone else at the table had but they didn’t speak to highly of their dishes so Im going to just tell you to get the damn Fundido and like it.

Bernout~

Amaya’s Taco Village is a mainstay of the i-35 taco scene.. Not much has changed in years… expect to find the place packed at lunch time.  The highlight of the (otherwise lackluster) menu are the Village Tacos.. Served in thick yellow corn fried shells that are a combination of chewy, crunchy, and greasy..   with processed yellow cheese, lettuce and tomato.. then your choice of ground beef, shredded chicken, or beef fajita.  Though you can get as many as 3 tacos to a plate, with rice and beans, 2 is more than enough to keep your belly full for the rest of the day.

For me, its the combination of the greasy, chewy shell  and the half-melted yellow cheese that make these tacos taste so damn good.. sometimes you just have wipe that  ’south austin – holier than thou – organic – whole food ‘ look off your face and enjoy the beauty of processed cheese… at least i do.  The ground beef is ok, but i would reccommend the fajita beef at a small extra charge.. it adds to the amazing texture of these tacos.. Amaya’s tacos have a weight/mass to them that is unrivaled.. a true gut-bomb if there ever was one.

Amaya’s Taco Village
www.amayastacovillage.com
5405 N Ih 35
Austin, TX 78723-2429
(512) 458-2531
Get directions

Al Pastor taco $0.99

I found this GREAT little taco stand just a couple minutes South-East of Austin, off Hwy 183 and DG Collins Rd.  I was the only gringo there, and the girl inside spoke ZERO engles…which is always a good sign in my book.

Chorizo/egg taco (.99) was and great, especially with the chunky, vinagery house salsa piled on top..reminded me of Maria’s w/ the chimichurri (though not quite THAT good).

Bomb Taco Alert: the Al Pastor Taco (.99), was more like a BBQ pulled pork smothered in red sauce – but it was AMAZING…highly recommended.

Las Flores – try to remember that name – and go there next time you head out near the airport or traveling towards Lockhart – its right off 183 about 5 min south of hwy 71…It may be a little off the beaten path, but there’s also a Pollo Regio stand across the street- if you feel like u wanna double up.

will post more pics later.

-cabeza

So, I just tried the brisket tacos for lunch today at the Vaquero Cocina – one of the the new trailers on South Congress- and part of the recent food truck explosion in Austin…

Brisket Taco $5.25

I gotta admit – the Mighty Cone was calling my name from only 50ft away.  But alas, i stuck to my taco exploring guns, stepped up to the Airstream counter, ordered a cold Topo Chico and TWO brisket tacos – the lone taco on the menu (also serving assorted smoked meats, corn, sweet potato fries and mexican drinks).

My meal total was about $12…not exactly cheap eats, but at least they’re big tacos.

Each Brisket taco starts with a big, fresh homemade flour tortilla, a generous pile of hot, lean and moist beef brisket (smoked on site), some cabbage slaw, a mild red salsa, and finished with a sprinkling of cojito cheese.

Oddly enough, the cheese and mild salsa combo reminded me of Italian marinara & parmesan at first – with no spice to speak of…

SO I immediately reached for Vaquero’s small selection of bottled sauces to add a kick …They had some Louisiana Hot Sauce, some Valentina, and my pick – Tex-Mex Rapper Chingo Bling’s Habanero salsa:

just a couple drops por la spicy pop, on my taco chop…i did the pop n lock, then i killed a cop…sheeet…Chingo got me rhymin’ bout taco timin.  just a lil clowin bout taco townin….

anyways…

Let’s get one thing straight: the real star here was the brisket – cooked beautifully – with plenty of pit smoke flavor and not dry at all…the beef really carried this one…moisty, hearty, tasty.

Still, this taco was one topping short from being truly outstanding – maybe a spicy cream sauce or a tangy green salsa would’ve kicked it over the top.

And, not to keep doggin on it, but the red sauce was so watery – it destroyed the tortilla and dripped all over the place…bummer.

All that said – this is a GOOD taco – at least worthy of a try…but not great (for GREAT, see Matt’s El Rancho – Pecan Smoked brisket tacos -da bomb).

cabeza

Wall Street Journal, that is…check out this article on gourmet food trucks, a trend that’s sweeping the country and bridging the gap between expensive restaurants and fast food:

Jeff Blank, Owner of Might Cone

Jeff Blank, chef and owner of Hudson’s on the Bend, in Austin, Texas, where the average check is $75, rolled out a lunch truck in March. The truck, called the Mighty Cone, specializes in fried chicken, shrimp and avocado coated with a mixture of almonds, sesame seeds, cornflakes and chili flakes; average checks are under $10. At Hudson’s, revenue is off by 20% to 25% compared with two years ago, Mr. Blank says, but revenues from the truck have made up for those losses and even allowed him to hire extra staff.

Good Stuff and congrats on Blank’s success. TacoTown will always be children of the cone.

]]> http://tacotown.org/2009/06/08/mighty-cone-hits-wall-street/feed/ 1 http://tacotown.org/2009/06/05/fajitas-are-so-punk-rock/ http://tacotown.org/2009/06/05/fajitas-are-so-punk-rock/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:01:40 +0000 Cabeza De Taco http://tacotown.org/?p=1057

Photo by John Anderson

Much Respek to the brothers Vallejo and their 2nd annual Pachanga Latino Music fest this past weekend in East Austin.  The fest was huge success by all accounts…but more importantly, they managed to expand the definition of “a musical instrument” to include the BBQ Grill.

Serrano’s owner Adam Gonzales actually cooked fajitas LIVE, onstage during the Panchanga All Stars set – a super-group featuring members of Vallejo and Grupo Fantasma, with Michael Ramos, Willie Alvarado, Haydn Vitera and a bunch more…

Now TacoTown calls that innovation.

Full Festival Review here >

We’ve been to the downtown Serranos location plenty of times, with pretty good results, but their south location – next to Best Buy and other “big box” stores down near Mopac and Ben White has been passed by 100′s of times.. I think the fact that its flanked by an Applebee’s just kills my appetite every time I see it.. But these days, Cabeza and I have basically run out of new places to try, so its time to start digging in the dirt..

My interest was piqued when i spotted the vinyl banner  hanging from the side of the building as we drove up.. “Tuesday Lunch Special $12.99 Fajitas for Two” Okay, i can work with that… Probably cheaper than my backup lunch choice – Spec’s deli.

Not surprisingly, the 2pm lunch rush was nonexistent.. we got chips and salsa and our iced teas quickly.. The salsa was a minced pico variety..  a little dry.. it couldnt even be stirred.. just a lump of pico.. but tasty enough.. I spotted a lady in the kitchen making fresh tortillas and my spirits were once again lifted..

The mixed chicken and beef fajitas came to our table in a matter of minutes and we got to making our own personal fajita tacos for which to scarf..  Accompanying our skillet of meat and onions, we each got a plate of mexican rice, charro beans (with shredded queso blanco on top), and shredded yellow cheese.   All ingredients were tasty.. The meat was cooked right.. the beans were flavorful.. the rice was a nice filler.. but the star was the fresh made tortillas that made every bite shine… A great lunch at a great price..

ps: Tuesday is the Fajita special, but Monday is buy 1 get 1 free enchilada plates..

Behind the Shell at Ben White & Packsaddle Pass

Taqueria Charly just came fresh out the box this moanin – new trailer player (map) on the taco block – mom and son servin up them goodies fer just $1.25 each…

The awning had “best tacos in town” skrawled across it in puff paint…whoa there hombre!  U gotta pay your dues before you go slanging that kinda bravado around…besides, we’ll be the judge of that,  holmes.

GET: Chorizo/egg topped with habanero salsa

GET: potato/egg (diner style hashbrowns up in eer)

AVOID: bacon/egg (looked like fuggiin BAco’s – FAIL)

more pics after the jump >

-cabeza

I pass this trailer most days coming home from work…its located in a convenience store parking lot off the southbound feeder of i-35, just past the Whip-In.

Trompo Taco (1.50), which is just another name for the Al Pastor taco, also referenced by the flaming trompo painting on the trailer itself.  It was a hearty taco, with big chunks of pork and pineapple smothered in mystery red Pastor sauce, in a fresh flour tortilla and topped with the ubiquitous green jalapeno paste salsa (which u gringo’s may recognize as TacoDeli’s Doña sauce)

…twas definitely above average al pastor, if a bit salty and i chomped a few bubblegum fatty pieces. but not baaad.  seemed like quality offering – but it could’ve been an off day for the trompo.

The real star here was the bacon/egg taco (1.50), topped with melted white cheese. The bacon was chopped up and cooked together with the eggs so the grease flavors just melded into pure breakfast bliss.  It may be a simple combo – but when done correctly, bacon & eggs is just the tits.

Verdict: I will return for sure after having the legit bacon/egg – and I might try the pastor or the Pollo Asado taco – since that seems to be their specialty…i do love me some pollo asado. -Cabeza

bacon/egg taco

Trompo Taco

First you gotta realize that this thing is a technically a taco..then, come to terms with the fact that it might be the tastiest taco in town.  We are all children of the cone. [mightycone.com]

wait a minute! i just realized that back in 2007 when I wrote about the chicken cones at ACL fest, I entitled my post “The Mighty Chicken Cone” .. did I name the place?

this beef fajita meat is pretty good, substantial chunks, unlike say, the kind of thin-strip jerky shank you tend to get from Arandas and its clones. The meat was marinated and cooked right, so the flavor and tenderness were there. this could be the best thing on Maudies menu besides the standby tex-mex enchiladas..

Taco Town contributors peso & tacolibre document their 1st visit to one of our favorite taco spots in Austin – Cabo Bob’s…enjoy!

Taco Town is baffled and enthralled.

This weekend Christopher Huang will attempt to run 200 miles from Houston to Austin non-stop, completely unsupported, and utterly untrained. He will run straight to East Austin’s legendary Juan in a Million mexican restaurant, where he will immediately attempt to break his own world record – a 10lb scarfing of 8 Don Juan breakfast tacos. The amazing quest begins Thursday, March 19 and ends in Austin on Saturday March 21st at 3pm.  Chris has set up a website to promote the event where you can follow his trek LIVE via GPS….One thing’s sure – TACO TOWN will be at the finish line for the full report.  Good luck Chris/ -cabeza