Taco Road Trip 2011 - Taco Stories

Well, the road trip didn't turn out exactly like I had planned. The plan was for 30 taco shops in 5 1/2 days, but we only got 20. The main problem was not realizing when I made up my list that the wife wouldn't be up for the sort of ordeal 30 stops would require. With the deal breaker being that she did not consider tripe tacos to be "breakfast" and kept insisting on eggs and toast.

I must admit though, eating that many tacos would have been a bit painful, and there was a big part of me that didn't mind at all devoting more time to her sight seeing and less to racing around stuffing my face when I wasn't hungry. 20 was comfortable, 30 would have been......... not comfortable.

I'm guessing one question people will have is, what was the best taco we ate? That's easy - El Farolito Taqueria in San Francisco
https://plus.google.com/109877313588078729086/posts/STv6UdV54gp
http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-farolito-san-francisco-2

But there is a problem with that. We barely scratched the surface. It would take weeks to get a meaningful idea of what the best tacos were in San Francisco alone. Same with Oakland, and LA, and everything in between. So please don't get the idea that we were there to find what was best. The goal was just to try lots of new things.

And we learned many things.

- We learned Mexican food in San Diego really doesn't measure up. It's sad.
- We learned that wandering around supposedly dangerous areas of LA and Oakland really is a bit intimidating. But we've done it now. It's fine.
- We learned al pastor up north means what I think of as adabada, rather than spit-roasted.
- We learned shrimp cocktails up there are more like soup. Well.... they are soup.
- We learned potato tacos seem to be a San Diego thing, as I didn't see any on the trip.
- We confirmed tripe isn't something I particularly like, no matter how it's cooked. Though I will say the stuff we got in Oakland was the best I've had, and certainly worth trying.

We only got to three trucks on the trip. And I must say, I was hoping they'd be better. Not that they weren't delicious, they were, but the sitdown places we went were much better.

My favorite place on the trip was Pancho Villa Taqueria in San Mateo
https://plus.google.com/109877313588078729086/posts/JuDz7VMiNJj
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pancho-villa-taqueria-san-mateo

I know, it's a fancified corporatized abomination of a taco shop with stupid high prices for mini tacos. I get it. But I loved it anyway. Would I usually eat there rather than the small mom&pop places? No. Was it worth waiting in line for seconds and thirds? Yes.

Overall the trip was a great success and made me hungry for more. Next, we take on LA in a systematic Mexican food attack.