Destination Austin: Torchy's Tacos

We've all heard the familiar story. A tremendously successful food truck upgrades to brick and mortar. Occasionally, as in the case of Torchy's Tacos in Austin, the little food truck that could expands around town and commands an eternally loyal following. I recall reading a list of top restaurants in Austin. The entry for Torchy's says that it is almost a cliché at this point to recommend Torchy's to visitors, but nonetheless, the praise is well-deserved.

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There were two types of cuisine I wanted to try on my brief visit to this capital city with a small town feel--Texas-style barbecue and Tex Mex. The barbecue requested would be satisfied many times over, but Torchy's was the only pseudo-Mexican food I had.



Yes, it is a chain. Yes, it looks like it was designed by a former store manager of a Hot Topic. Yes, it is fast casual dining. None of these factors took away from the fact that you'd be hard pressed to find a juicier carnitas taco. The tacos are large, one is equivalent in size to two taco truck street tacos in California. There are also offerings of breakfast taco fillings and migas, but the main draw comes in between the corn or flour tortillas.



Although I heard pleasant accolades of the odder tacos, the Jamaican jerk chicken or Baja shrimp for examples, I opted for the more traditional. The Democrat, with shredded beef barbacoa, onion, queso fresco, avocado, cilantro, and salsa verde was decadently flavorful. Although I prefer a goat or sheep barbacoa, the beef here surely put Chipotle's own barbacoa offering to shame. The Green Chili Pork Taco, with roasted carnitas, green chilis, queso fresco, cilantro, onion, lime, and salsa verde was essentially the same taco as The Democrat but with pork. Authenticity aside, I've yet to find better carnitas tacos.

Torchy's is an Austin chain with eight locations in that city alone. They recently expanded to Dallas and Houston as well. If you're in any of these cities, just look for that devilish red baby signage. Grab some tacos and wash them down with some Dublin Dr. Pepper.

Torcy's Tacos
torchystacos.com
2801 Guadalupe St. (multiple locations, this one is by UT Austin)
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 494-8226
~$3-4/taco

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Ensenada Too Far? Try Ricky's Fish Tacos

Originating from sunny Ensenada, fish tacos are a common sight in California. On my visit back to Los Angeles, I finally got the chance to see what the fuss was all about. Ricky's Fish Tacos, a stand that would be perfectly for a futbol tailgate, had been on my list for a long time. Since my previous experiences with fish tacos were at Rubios or Wahoo's, I needed some convincing that fish tacos were more than just overbattered and greasy messes.

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Since I had trouble finding Ricky's, I will devote time to explaining how to find it. Luckily, Christine, the older sister who I never wanted, was an expert and guided me in the whole process. First, check Ricky's Twitter @rickysfishtacos to see if he's open that day. For the most part, he is open Wednesday through Sunday afternoons. However, since he also caters private events, check the Twitter feed for more accurate information.



Second, as I mentioned above, Ricky's is not a traditional restaurant. As you can tell from the picture, it is an outdoor stand of not more than a few tables, a frying vat, and some coolers with fresh seafood underneath a canopy. That said, he's in a small yard at the corner of North Virgil Avenue and De Longpre Avenue, across from the Vons parking lot.


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Once you arrive, go up to Ricky or his assistant and place your order. He has fish or shrimp tacos. If you're lucky, he will also be serving lobster tacos. They are fried in front of you in a golden vat. If you stand too close for too long, you too will smell delicious.



I ordered one shrimp and one fish. I was not lucky that day. A person of normal appetite will probably be okay with two or three. I can report that Ricky avoids the main problem with battered and fried fish, the batter does not dominate the flavor. Also, it felt surprisingly light; you don't get the uncomfortable feeling that usually accompanies a meal of fried fare. The pico de gallo and cabbage give some textual variety while the crema and salsas added flavor dimensions. None of the accompaniments overpowered the centerpiece seafood though. If you do feel like throwing the flavors out of balance, additional sauces are available for self-dispense.

That day, Ricky was also serving cucumber and spinach agua fresca. This was an odd combination for me, but perfect for the unseasonably warm January day.

Ricky's Fish Tacos
@rickysfishtacos
1400 N. Virgil Ave.
Los Feliz/Hollywood/Silverlake, CA 90027
$2.50 for the fish, more for the shrimp and lobster.

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Redondo's Cantina: Ortega 120

Ortega 120
1814 South Pacific Coast Highway,
Redondo Beach, 90277
(310) 792-4120


With a suggestion from my girlfriend's mom, we ended up at Ortega 120. She told me the location had previously been a lobster shack not too long ago, and then an Italian restaurant before that. Guess it must be a bad location.

The restaurant itself was comfortably airy. Tables were far apart, giving you room for just your group. They project some old movies on a wall and have several large TVs showing various sporting events. Noticing loungy couches along the wall, I could see how the place could easily be converted into a night club.

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Positioning itself as a somewhat more upscale, but still festive, Mexican restaurant, Ortega 120 does a great job of walking that line. The food is excellent, created by Thomas Ortega, formerly of Water Grill, Lucques and Patina. In LA, that seems to be the mark of a decent chef. Patina grads seem overly abundant in this town. My carnitas were juicy and delicious. The pork falling apart as my fork cut through the mound of meat. Speaking of mounds, the portions are rather large.

My main criticism comes from the tables and chairs. They have the leather topped tables with the large weaved seating that never seem to fit comfortably at the table. I might be able to bare it at a taqueria, but at a more upscale place like this, I'd like to sit comfortably.

Ortega 120 has everything it takes to be a success. I want to publicize it as much as possible so it doesn't take the route of the old lobster place or Italian joint. As much as it's a shame those places didn't last, the real shame would be to let this new restaurant falter as well.

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A Taco You Don't Need to Catch

El Super Taco
Corner of Pico and Sawtelle
Los Angeles, CA 90189
$1.25 per taco

El Super Taco is basically a sedentary taco truck. The food is the same as you can get from any of the many mobile eateries around LA. Meat choices include carne asada, pollo, chorizo, lengua, cabeza, tripe, al pastor, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head. The tacos are cheap, three or four make a good meal. The salsa bar had many choices, including a refreshing avocado based salsa thinner than guacamole and a formidable habanero salsa.



I ordered three tacos: carnitas, cabeza and lengua. To be honest, the cabeza and lengua looked good, but tasted pretty similar, just chewy beef. The carnitas was sadly dry and plain. I can make better carnitas than that and I can hardly be considered a Mexican cook. Dry carnitas are just about the worst kind of meat there is. The bland pork almost feels like it's leaching flavor from anything else you put it next to, a kind of flavor abyss or blackhole. Luckily a little bit of salsa made it bearable. Next time I will try the torta though. I'll still prefer a random truck to this place, although the parking is useful.

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Cuando Vuelo, Vuelo a la Paloma Selestial

Paloma Selestial
Somewhere around Pico & Overland
$1.25 a taco

On the opposite spectrum of my Comme ça lunch, I went to my first taco truck the other day. Considerably cheaper, as reflected in the facilities, I think both are equal in terms of value to cost ratio. I'm paying less and getting less in terms of service and ambiance, but the food is still quality tasty. Now I know, being the food lover that I am, it's a great shame I have only just recently gone to a taco truck. I like to talk big about how I like food all along the price spectrum, but up until now, I just never found it convenient to go to a taco truck. I know where several are parked, but they've never been a destination in themselves rather than a convenience at best. Now I know better, a good taco truck is worth checking out.

Several months ago, the tacos were only $1 each. But seeing as how gas prices are outrageous, I suppose an extra $.25 per taco at a mobile kitchen is reasonable. I have a healthy appetite and four tacos were filling without weighing me down. I opted for the carne asada, lengua, cabeza and al pastor tacos. To be honest, when they came all on one plate, I was hard-pressed to distinguish between them. All come with cilantro and onions, but two had salsa and two had guacamole. Al pastor is a roasted pork rotisserie similar to a Middle-Eastern Shawarma . Lengua is beef tongue, very high in fat and chewy. Cabeza is meat served from the roasted head of a cow. I'm not sure what parts of the head, but I'll just leave it at that. Sometimes it's better not to ask.

Paloma Selestial means Celestial Dove, but I'd be hard pressed to figure out what makes this truck celestial or dove-like. It looks like all the other catering trucks, which are under new legislation that seems to have little effect, so you might have to look around to find it. It's usually next to the Pep Boys, so you can use that as a reference point.

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Gardens of Taxco

Gardens of Taxco

(323) 654-1746
1113 N Harper Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90046

Adequately Fed: $25
Quesadilla****
Tortilla Soup***
Chicken Enchilada***
Shrimp in Cilantro Cream Sauce***
Banana Cream with Cream Sherry*****
Margarita****
(Out of Five Stars)

The Aztec city of Tlacho is the modern Mexican city of Taxco and inspiration for this Los Angeles restaurant. The unassuming exterior is off of the main drag Santa Monica Boulevard, but a large sign will direct you to turn onto the correct little street. Inside, the atmosphere is crowded and dark. I don't know if that's common for Mexican restaurants in Mexico, but it a tad too dark and warm to be comfortable. A musician with a guitar roams the premises playing La Bamba and other songs for the drunken gringos.

The catch with this place is that it has no menus. A waiter comes over and announces the entrees. Each meal is five courses; you have a choice of several different items. Beef, chicken, shrimp, and fish, there are a few different preparations for each type of meat. If you're a vegetarian, your options are severely limited if available at all. Their main sauce is a cream cilantro that seems to come available on anything and everything. The waiter really makes ordering a theatrical experience, but it is difficult to keep track of everything and make a decision.

With a pitcher of pineapple margaritas, chips and salsa, and Mexican pickles, we waited for our food. The first course quesadillas came out with guacamole, a great way to start your meal. Secondly, comes a tortilla soup with Mexican meatballs called albondigas. It was a simple soup, a good way to round off a multi-course meal, but nothing spectacular. Third, a chicken enchilada with a cheese sauce similar to nacho cheese. It is delicious in small proportions such as on the appetizer, but in large quantities would be overwhelming.

Now the entree is where each dinner's fare diverges. I had the shrimp with the oft mentioned cilantro cream. It came plated with refried beans, rice, and a dallop of guacamole. Personally, I've never been a fan of refried beans or Mexican rice, but the shrimp was decent. The sauce was a bit of a letdown considering how well the waiter spoke of them.

Dessert consided of a small banana cream, smooth in consistency and a small glass of creme sherry to be poured on top. The combination of the dessert and alcohol was a splendid way to top off the meal, bringing the dining experience together as a whole.

In general, the food was decent, no dish a major disappointment. For multiple courses like this, I'd like to see each course working better together to complete the meal. They do serve you a large amount of food; be prepared since you can't really order less. Overall, a solid restaurant and good place to go with friends.

Recommendation: Listen very closely to the waiter when hearing about the entrees. Be decisive and don't dwell too much on what you're ordering.

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