Holy smokes, it's almost my birthday and I haven't posted in a while. I live in South-Central Texas and it's a shame that it's isn't known as the Taco Mecca of the world...because it is.
There are many reasons to despise living in Texas. The heat, the stupid and pointless Texas "pride", the politics, etc., etc. but one of the wonderful things about living in this neck of the woods of Texas is the ubiquitous nature of tacos; and the star of the taco show, to me, must be breakfast tacos. (that's a lot of commas in a sentence....I might have broken a record). I think in the past 20 years or so, the rest of the nation is starting to catch on to the fact that beakfast tacos really are one of the best things on earth.
If I am trying a new place, I gotta try a bean and cheese, it's how I judge a taco place. It's how I roll. It's also my favorite taco.
Here are my favorite breakfast tacos:
1. Bean & Cheese (this is a little like saying the Beatles are your favorite band so shut your filthy mouth).
2. Bacon & Egg
3. Potato, Egg & Cheese
4. Papas Ranchera
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My wife is a pico girl but I can be a little all over the place, I am very flexible when it comes to salsa. If a roasted salsa is available, I'll usually go for that but a fresh red salsa is fine too and a hot green salsa can never do me wrong either. I have been absolutely obsessed with Cholula sauce of late....but I'll use anything in a pinch and it's a cardinal sin to judge someone's salsa or hot sauce preference in my estimation. It's very personal.
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The pandemic made me miss a ton of things from work, but one of the small pleasures of work was coming into the office kitchen and catching free donuts or tacos that someone had been nice enough to bring in. You knew your day was off to the right start, especially if I had been in too big of a rush to eat anything before leaving for work. Ahhh...the old days....
Here are TWO taco stories (two for one).
It was the late 90's and it was late at night. I was at a place called Chacho's. It has always been overrated but the late 90's was their heyday. Somewhere, my wife has a photo of me with a tortilla on my face (with holes cut out for my eyes) at Chacho's (this was before we were dating, so it's pretty incredible she ever wanted to date me after this happened). Anyway, this was a different time from that, and I was hanging with my buddies. I don't remember who was all there but it was likely the usual suspects. We might have been drinking or coming from a bar. Chacho's had a jukebox and one of us got an idea. An awful, evil idea. (hat tip to the Grinch).
This was also the heyday of the "Macarena". It was everywhere. I mean freaking everywhere. It was at the point where it was almost a joke when it came on and most people were "over" the song. Well, our idea was to purchase the song at least 10 times and just leave the restaurant, leaving the other patrons to suffer. I honestly don't remember how many times we bought the song but it was a lot. Some could say it was cruel, it still makes me laugh, imagining how people reacted.
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This story was sometime post-2000....I believe it was my friend Phillip, Toby and Jeff. We all went out to a dancing club. I remember making eyes at a girl but we didn't dance, I was too chicken to ask. It was one of those fancy clubs, where I always feel out of place and they made you have your shirt tucked in. Anyway, Phil said we JUST HAD TO TRY this incredible hole-in-the-wall restaurant for tacos afterward.
You see, here in South Texas, if you're out late at night dancing and/or drinking, the proper way to close out the evening is with tacos (many of which will be breakfast tacos). It's not required but it's pretty much standard procedure, an expectation to be sure. So, we get to this tiny little place called Los Brazos. It must have been at least 1:00 or 1:30 AM when we arrived. The restaurant was indeed tiny, it had room for maybe, five or six tables. Easily, the smallest restaurant I have ever been to. I was impressed but then again, I was also probably drunk. Anyway, we were all perusing the menu when something terrifying occurred. I looked down to find that a cockroach had crawled from my leg into my lap. I panicked. I immediately jumped up and I used the menu to hit the roach off my lap while yelling, "Oh, Shit!" The roach scurried off in the direction of the kitchen. We should have definitely left the restaurant as we hadn't ordered but we were kinda drunk so we all laughed and ordered our tacos anyway.
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Anyway, I am set to get some tacos for my birthday in the morning. It will hit just right. So, go on, go get some breakfast tacos or at least go make some and text an old friend you haven't talked to in a long time, you probably won't regret it.
