Day 122: Taqueria Cancun

Day 121: Los Hermanos

Day 120: Pacific Catch

This evenings festivities included a stop by the Horseshoe on Chestnut for a good bye party for an old friend, and important member of the Daily Taco fan base (after randomly running into him on the beach in Hawaii, he pointed me in the direction of a very tasty taqueria in Waikiki). Arriving early with the E.P. and the Strategic Taco Undertakings Director (who was in town for the New Year's weekend), we decided to grab a quick bite before the party began (read: no one was there yet because it was only 8PM). Directly across the street lies pacific catch; a tasty Asian inspired seafood restaurant that just happened to serve tacos. I grabbed a tropical shrimp and a glazed salmon taco. Arriving in a basket with sweet potato fries and two dipping sauces, they were absolutely delicious!

Day 119: Chevy's

For as long as Chevy's has been a part of my life, their fajitas have been one of my favorite "make your own" taco eating experiences. Much to my chagrin, the flour-based nature of their tortillas (fresh off El Machino) has prohibited me from utilizing this mecca of Mexican fast food during my amazing year of tacos. What a remarkable change of events Christmas brought about when my flour-hating sister (AKA the "Corn Nazi") gifted me with a taco book containing the justification for the flour tortillas she so vehemently opposes. And I quote: "The Santa Fe school of tacos considers a taco to be any tasty filling on or in a flour or corn tortilla, crispy or soft." Oh how she seethed as I read these wonderful words of taco wisdom directly from the pages of the tome she herself had bestowed upon me. With flour now fully included in my taco equation, I no longer had to avoid Chevy's fresh mex in my attempt to consume a taco a day. I boldly strode through the door at Chevy's on Van Ness this afternoon with the full intention of ordering the tasty fajitas I had been denied throughout the first 117 days, but, as readers of TDT know, old habits (especially 117 day old habits) are hard to break. I found myself scouring the menu for something in a corn tortilla that would pass as a taco. To my great relief, I discovered just what I was looking for in the "traditional combinations" section of Chevy's extensive menu. After the enormous amount of fajita anticipation I had experienced since that magical literary moment on Christmas eve, I couldn't help but order a crunchy corn taco and enchilada combo. In spite of my new found taco knoweledge, the need for something encased in corn was too strong to ignore..

Day 118: Casa de Senor Salty

Finally got a chance to eat the leftovers from Festivus fiesta today. I'm fairly certain that the pineapple salsa and spicy slaw were far superior after a couple of days in the fridge, and with the addition of some extra BBQ sauce and 20 minutes in the oven, the pork made a full recovery to its perky porcine perfection of Sunday night.

Day 117: Miraloma Market Taqueria

As a magnificent Christmas addition to my parents tree, my Grams created another Senor Salty avatar in the form of a spectacular sequened ornament. After finding a place for him front and center, bathed in the brilliant glow of holiday lights, the tree took on a decidedly south of the border flavor (the perfect exclamation point on a Feliz Navidad during the year of tacos). Now on to the tacos. As tradition dictaded, I stopped by Miraloma market to pick up said daily tacos on the way to my parents house this festive evening. I entered the house, tossed the outrageously enormous roast my dad had procured into the oven, and retired to the couch to enjoy my daily Mexican meal. As I basked in the glory of the Senior Salty ornament, one carnitas and one chicken taco were the perfect treat to stave off my hunger until the arrival of the rest of my family for the evenings massive Christmas feast.

Day 116: La Salsa

After Sunday nights Festivus extravaganza, I was feeling a little under the weather Christmas Eve Day. I decided to put myself back to bed after waking up, getting ready for work, and then realizing there was nothing to be done on the day before 6 LB 10 OZ baby Jesus was born. I had to be at my Grandparents by 5 for dinner, so I set my alarm for 3:30 to give myself ample time for a quick shower before the 30 minute drive across the city. I was leaving my house at 4:10 when I realized I needed to grab a pre-dinner taco since I could not be assured of an open taqueria on my way home later that night (I suppose even taqueria workers need time off for the holidays). I spied an open sign illuminated in the window of La Salsa on California and, with numerous vacant parking spots in close proximity, decided not to push my luck in tonights taco search. Two chicken Taco's La Salsa and I was on my way over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house. Upon arrival at my grandparents house I was greeted with a warm hug and a warm mini taco my Grandmother had prepared for me as an appetizer. Not knowing if I had fulfilled my taco requirement for the day, She and my Grandfather and had picked up some Trader Joe's frozen tacos to make sure my streak would remain unbroken this most christmasy of eves. Awesome!

Day 115: Casa de Marquis de Sade

With the Marquis out of town for the holidays, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take advantage of his empty loft and throw a festivus taco fiesta. I had purchased an 8 pound pork shoulder the night before, and tossed it in the oven just before 10AM to give it a good 9 hours to roast until achieving the tender, delicious consistency synonymous with southern BBQ. After a perfect Sunday watching football, cooking taco stuff, and drinking beer, I could barely contain my excitement for the tasty tacos waiting for me in the very near future. As soon as the motley crew of Daily Taco diners was fully assembled and supplied with cocktails (and the airing of grievances was complete), I pulled the pork, nuked the tortillas, and it was time to eat. Fresh Guac and Pineapple salsa, home made BBQ sauce, and what may have been my most succulent pork to date combined to create an unforgettable taco experience. As the night wound down with some apres-dinner drinks and a good amount of Guitar Hero, everyone agreed that this had been a festivus for the ages.

Day 114: Pancho Villa

Day 113: Taqueria Cancun

Day 112: Chipotle

Day 111: T-Bell

I was comfortably seated on my couch this evening, about to phone up Rico's for some tasty tacos, when I recieved a call from the OR at Peninsula hospital informing me that I would be working tonight instead of enjoying Rico's in the comfort of my living room. Instead of bemoaning my plight, I decided to be proactive and audible to some tasty Chipotle tacos from the new location which had recently opened close to the hospital. Alas, as I aproached the freeway after a 20 minute trip across the city (it was the middle of rush hour), I was confronted with a massive traffic jam and was forced to concede that my trip to the hospital was destined to take longer than anticipated. I finally reached Milbrae 20 minutes after the surgery was scheduled to begin, and was forced to drive right by Chipotle with no time to stop and feed my hungry tummy. By the time I left the hospital, I was in no mood to wait in the outrageous line still snaking through Chipotle, so I continued down the street the extra two blocks to T-Bell.

Day 110: Pancho Villa

As you can imagine, a trip to Pancho in the Mission is a wholly different beast than visiting Pancho in San Mateo. However, after dodging the many sketchy looking people along Mission and 16th street, the results were very much the same. A tasty carne and a tasty carnitas taco were all it took to make me forget about the gauntlet of danger I was forced to navigate to reach this oasis of Mexican deliciousness.

Day 109: Casa de Senor Salty

The Executive Producer, Taco Comptroller, and I had the pleasure of having dinner cooked for us Monday evening by Christie, an avid Daily Taco enthusiast. The menu consisted of salmon with roasted cheesy potatoes and asparagus. A delicious meal in and of itself, but Senor Salty surmised that it could become much, much more. A corn tortilla, some black beans, a little more cheese, and a scoop of tasty salsa turned salmon dinner into some strange looking yet surprisingly delicious tacos! Once again the almighty taco showed its incredibly creative nature and unsurpassed culinary versatility.

Day 108: Puerto Alegre

After spending the majority of the morning and early afternoon recovering from MXP and watching football, it was time to head outdoors to rustle up some Mexican grub. Over the past 15 or so years, I have discovered that nothing seems to dull my hangovers quite as quickly as tasty, tasty tacos (except maybe something greasy from Jack in the Box). A two taco combo with rice and beans (along with a shrimp quesadilla as an appetizer) seemed like the best choice to fill my taco requirement and my hungry tummy at the same time. It was!

Day 107: El Balazo

December 15th was this years illustriouis date for the MXP (McCarthy Christmas Party), so, as protocol demanded, I picked up the Chez for a quick taco lunch before heading for BevMo to purchase an obsene amount of booze. Lessons learned in years past had us headed for the BevMo on Bayshore (much less crowded and much easier parking than the BevMo on Geary), so we chose the car wash down the street for out Mexican munchies. Chicken tacos with guac were the perfect fuel for the shopping extravaganza that was to follow. With full stomachs and a car full of alcohol, we headed back to the Chez's castle to prepare for the party.

Day 106: Chipotle

Went to Chipotle today for the first time ever. All I could think of was the Jack in the Box commercial where Jack tries to say Chipotle and pronunces it Chipootle and Chipatopley. Oh Jack, you and your giant ping pong ball head always make me chuckle! Anyway, back to the restaurant at hand. In case you haven't been to Chipotle, you order a type of meat (each has it's own price), and then specify what form you want it delivered in. All forms (taco, burrito, and bowl) are the same price, so you can pick and choose without worry of economic impact. 4 crispy corn tacos filled with steak were delivered to me on a silver pizza pan. Covered in Guac and hot sauce, the steak was surprisingly tender and tasty, and the tacos were surprisingly crunchy and good for a bastard child of the McDonalds corporation.

Day 105: Casa de Marquis de Sade

Yes, ladies and Gentlemen. It is officially crab season, and that means it's time to eat crab. The opening day of crab season always makes me think of tha Marquis de Sade (otherwise known as Crabby Greg), and the magnificant crab feeds he and his wife host at their spacious loft every year. I was lucky enough to be included on the very exclusive guest list to todays first feast of the year (dinner consisted of Crabby Greg, Katie, and myself), and took advantage of the bountiful number of crabs the Marquis had prepared to create my daily tacos with a decidedly maritime theme. A mountain of tasty crab along with black beans, avocado, and hot sauce made for an exceptional taco experience.

Day 104: Gordo

I had to head for Gordo today to get back to my taco roots. I had been so poor in my recent Daly Taco efforts that I was questioning my resolve to complete my year of tacos. A quick lunch trip to Gordo was all it took to reafirm my dedication to the greatest of Mexican culinary inventions. As soon as I entered Gordo on Geary, I was overcome with the taco Joy that originally led me to surmise I may be able to acomplish this, the greateast of taco feats; eating a taco a day for one American year. I ordered my carnitas tacos, and, as I watched them being prepared, I felt a calming wave rush over me. After days of self-doubt, Gordo was the obvious catalyst to jumpstart my resugent taco posting career. P.S. I have been remiss in scheduling the next Taco Tuesday. With the holidays so close by, I am afraid it won't be till early 2008. Rest assured Senor Salty faithful, barring any unforseen conflicts, it is being planned for the second Tuesday in January.

Day 103: La Tortilla

I would like to apologize for my lack of posting over the last few days. I have had an outrageous cold, and my posting skills (although not my taco eating skills) were adversely affected. La Tortilla for tacos today. Grilled chicken, black beans, with an extra helping of tasty.

Day 102: Rico's

Day 101: Taqueria La Cumbre

Day 100: Casa de Senor Salty

I figures I would hit up Rico's for day 100 of my taco quest, but by the time I got home from work Saturday night (yes, I said work on Saturday) it was after 9PM which is apparrently cut off time for tacos around my house. Rico's and San Jose were both closed, so I was forced to walk the extra 2 blocks to Safeway in order to procure the necessary ingredients to make that which I could not buy.

Day 99: Casa de Senor Salty

I felt a cold coming on Thursday night, so a Friday spent in bed seemed like the best course of action to decrease its length and severity (and a Friday in bed is pretty sweet in and of itself). I awoke at 5PM feeling better, but extremely hungry since I hadn't eaten since 8 that morning. Not wanting to risk my fragile health braving the cold outdoors, I turned to my fridge (and the weeks leftovers) for some taco inspiration in the comfort of my cozy livingroom.

Day 98: Fresca

Headed to West Portal with Dad for some lunch tacos today. Amazing salmon tacos were a taste sensation. Y-U-M!!!

Day 97: Casa de Senor Salty

Today, as I was reminicing about my many past taco meals, it dawned on me that I had never had a lamb taco. I'm not exactly sure why this thought crossed my mind. I hadn't recently crossed paths with a sheep. I haden't even been even remotely close to a farm. Mostly perplexed, I decided it would be easier to refctify this taco oversight than delve further into the workings of my sometimes overtaxed brain. Off to my favorite Safeway to peruse the lamb offerings and decide what form my taco filling would take. Rack of lamb? Too good by itself. Lamb chops? Too small. Leg of lamb? Too big. What was I to do? As I moved from the lamb section into beef products, i had almost given up hope until I spied the answer to my lamb taco conundrum at the end of the meat case. For some inexplicable reason, Safeway decided that ground lamb should be displayed next to the ground beef instead of alongside its sheeply brethren. After puzzling over this placement, I decided to follow my earlier decision to act in place of thinking. I grabbed the ground lamb, headed home, and whipped up my first lamb tacos. Paired with the leftover cucumber salsa from Monday, they were a welcome addition to my stable of taco options.

Day 96: El Burrito Express

With 20 minutes on the treadmill to contemplate tacos this afternoon, I pondered the many locations where I could pick up some dinner. I settled on El Burrito Express at the corner of Polk and Sutter as I left the garage at the O-Club (on Sutter) and got stuck in traffic before I could merge the two necessary lanes to hang a right on Leavenworth (my usual path home). By the time I managed to out-manuever a Muni bus intent on running me off the road I was half a block from this tasty taco destination. After finding a parking place right out front and a surprisingly speedy assembly of two grilled chicken tacos by the Ell Super Burrito staff I was headed home to enjoy an early evening Mexican meal.

Day 95: Casa de Senor Salty

First, Pictures of the Hawaii trip are up in the picture gallery. Second, on to the tacos! One of the many invaluable culinary marvels the Executive Producer has opened my eyes to is the Safeway Yard Bird. Of course, I am refering to the pre-roasted whole chicken you can pick up for around $7 American, bring home in it's heat retaining container, and immediately consume with no further effort. After a long first day back at work after Hawaii, a Yard Bird seemed like the perfect answer for an easy taco dinner. A quick stop at Safeway for said bird, along with the staples to toss together a fresh batch of salsa (I added half a cucumber and twice as much jalapeno to this batch which was a delicious change of pace), and I was on my way home with visions of tasty tacos dancing through my head. I dismembered the Yard Bird, chopped up the salsa ingredients, grated a little pepperjack, and it was time to eat.

Day 94: The other Andele at SFO

With no luck finding a quick taco meal before leaving Waikiki, and no tacos to be found at the airport, I was left to ponder the taco posibilities still available upon arrival at SFO around 9PM. After a relaxing 5 hours in First Class (thank you Mileage Plus account), I had settled on T-Bell as the only logical stop. Any number of them would still be open even at such a late hour, and ready to serve me up a nightime taco treat. This plan was quickly thrown aside when I saw a still open Andele in the United terminal as I walked towards baggage claim. My last trip to Andele had been spectacular, and as soon as I caught a wiff of the Mexican delicacies being whipped up right there in front of me, my path became very clear. I would extend my vacation for a few extra minutes (it is a well known fact that you are not officially back from vacation untill you exit the airport), and feast on Andele tacos before departing SFO. One for grilled chicken for me, and one for the E.P. We ate tacos and reminised about 80 degree weather in December before heading home for a much needed night of post-travel sleep.

Day 93: La Cucaracha Mexican Bar

After spending the majority of my day basking in the sun on the deck at Duke's (where, sadly, the only tacos they serve come in flour tortillas), I realized it was time to turn my attention away from the Mai Tais and Pina Coladas in order to make sure I found a legitimate Mexican restaurant to get some tacos. I had randomly run into a buddy of mine while wandering along the beach the day before , and he recommended a taco joint he had seen that turned out to be just a few short blocks from my hotel. On a side note, probably the easiest way to get into the good graces of Senor Salty is to appear out of nowhere when I am in a strange city, ask how "that taco thing" is going, and recommend somewhere close by to get tacos (Cahill, you are awsome!). After a quick walk and two stops to ask directions (the last being at a store that sold bikinis for dogs. Yes you read correctly, bikinis for dogs), the Executive Producer and I (we had lost Larz by this point) managed to stumble upon La Cucaracha Mexican bar which, according to the sign out front, was home to the best tacos in Hawaii. We met up with Fiona at the restaurant (a travelling Auzzie who had been lucky enough to witness our Daily Taco shenanigans at the Royal Hawaiian yesterday, and became an instant Senor Salty fan) and ordered a round of Land Shark beers and a Jack Daniels and Coke (which is apparrently what travelling Auzzies drink). A quick perusal of the menu turned up an offering of tacos filled with Kahula pork (like you get at an "authentic" Hawaiian Luau), a taco creation I knew I couldn't pass up. Like carnitas with a tropical twist, the chunks of meat were sweet and tender. Served in soft corn tortillas alongside pinto beans, Kahula pork made for the quinticential Hawaiian taco experience.

Day 92: Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian

Tacos and cocktails served in a Pineapple. Is there a better combination? I can safely say I don't know for sure, but it would take something really special to convince me otherwise. The Mai Tai bar was the perfect setting for tacos on a beautiful Friday in Waikiki. I found the E.P. and a Mohakioed Larz staked out at what may have been the best table in all of Hawaii. Two feet from the beach with an unobstructed view of Diamondhead, I could scarcely believe that the Daily Taco would be lucky enough to post from such a serene locale. Fresh Mahi Mahi in crispy corn tortillas jumped out from the menu as a perfect way to complete my daily taco requirement.