And La Raza Becomes Defunct

Sadly, Antojitos La Raza didn't make it. It's closed up and wearing both For Rent and For Sale signs. I'll try to get a picture with phone number for anybody interested in buying or renting it.

No idea why it failed, unless they just had a major problem keeping it open during the posted hours. At first it seemed to be doing plenty of business, but there were several times when it was closed without any particular reason. If you go out of your way to visit a taco truck, and find it closed when you get there, you might think twice about going back.

One of my spies in the industry tells me that the food quality was inconsistent so that was probably a factor too.

Oh well.... the silver lining is of course that somebody else will have an opportunity to bring their own unique take on Mexican street food to a corner near you.

DF becomes La Raza

Look familiar? The old Tacos DF trailer has reopened as "Antojitos La Raza!"



Same great location (see map below) but under new management, and a great opportunity to see how it all starts. A genuine "neophyte" business, La Raza seems to be doing very well, without taking any business away from the new Tacos DF restaurant.

Operated by sisters Chelo and Rocio, friends of Adrian, the menu derives from DF or Mexico City regional cuisine, but there are some notable differences between La Raza and Tacos DF.
But first, note that the La Raza menu has been tacked up over Adrian's old Club America emblem, but doesn't quite cover it. [g]

The first item, the "bisteck" taco, is actually a whole steak, served in a large tortilla. If you want what we think of Mexican style tacos, you order the Tacos de Guisado, which are available with chicken, beef, and a mixture of potatoes and chorizo. I had two beef tacos de guisado, and the meat was what I would have called suadero, or steamed, shredded beef with onions and spices. Very tasty! They were served on double tortillas with lettuce, and next time I will ask them to leave out the lettuce. That's if I don't try the enchiladas, which I haven't seen at a taco truck before.

Chelo makes her own salsas, and I tried both the red chile sauce and the green tomatillo-- both excellent.


Chelo took a break from her hot stove so I could take a picture of her with her granddaughter Adriana.

Antojitos La Raza is located on the south side of S. Parker Rd, just north of Iliff, in the liquor store parking lot. Hours are 10-6 Tuesday through Friday, 9-7 on Saturday, and 9-3 on Sunday.

Tacos DF 2 !

Tacos DF has a new home!

As of yesterday (9/23/06), Tacos DF is no longer a "taco truck!" Toni and Adrian have moved their operation indoors, BUT... it is set up like an indoor taco truck, and if you want you can close your eyes and pretend you are standing outside in the weather.

And they have regular hours! For the time being Toni intends to be open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 7pm, but closing time will depend on business.

The food is great, the decor is wonderful (based on the same menu), and the prices are the same! I'll write more when I get a chance, but obviously a first priority has been to get these photos posted and give you the map!

The new location is just up the road from the old one, at 2200 S. Parker Rd (see map below). There's plenty of parking, unlike the old location which was tucked into the parking lot of a busy liquor store!).

Yes, they're still next to a liquor store!

The decor is bright and colorful, with some surprises like the watercolors by Toni's uncle Pedro Tenorio (they're for sale)...

The opposite wall is decorated with black and white photos, the obligatory sombreros, and congratulatory messages from friends and family (and yours truly).

The menu is pretty much the same-- but they have added some specialty meats (cabeza = head, lengua = tongue, and tripas = tripe -- all three are beef, what our hotdog makers used to call "byproducts."). They don't have it on this menu yet, but the barbacoa (steamed lamb) is now available every day, along with the "consomme" or lamb broth with rice served as a soup. A "proper" menu is in production, but meanwhile the whiteboard will do....

Serving size is very generous, as shown in this unretouched photo of a burrito. All the ingredients are prepared fresh by Toni and condiments include home-made guacamole, chilpotle and tomatillo salsas.


Toni has more kitchen than she knows what to do with right now...


But she's getting plenty of help from Adrian's cousin Sarahi and Toni's brother's girlfriend Beatriz...


Here's the whole crew...
From left: Toni, Sarahi, Jose, Adrian, and Betty. When interrupted by the photo, they were preparing servings of homemade flan made by Toni's sister.


2200 S. Parker Rd, at the intersection of Parker and S. Dayton. Entrance from Dayton is easiest.

SpotRep: Federal Blvd & 7th, Denver

Spotting Report:

At 10AM on Saturday, 9/23/06, I saw a taco truck at 700 Federal Blvd, Denver, but did not have time to check it out. It's on the west side of Federal, across from the end of 7th Ave.


If you have visited this truck please feel free to post a comment!

Denver Taco Trucks

Metropolitan Denver is a huge area, and there are probably a couple hundred taco trucks scattered around.

I LOVE TACO TRUCKS! They range from tiny trailers like Tacos DF to gigantic RV-body "catering vehicles," just like the ones that used to appear at construction sites every lunchtime. There's a surprisingly wide variety of authentic Mexican food available, and afficionados know that dining at a Taco Truck is like having back-door access to the kitchen of a good Mexican restaurant.

For me they are an excellent replacement for your typical fast-food establishment. I'm often on the road at lunch time or supper time, and when a taco truck catches my eye I know I'm in for a treat.

But taco trucks can be somewhat ephemeral, and their mobility makes it tough sometimes to find one in an area that you're not familiar with. There is a desperate need for them to be cataloged and mapped, and that's what Denver Taco Trucks is all about. I can't take credit for the idea-- a friend pointed me toward a page featuring Seattle area trucks, and my search for a Denver equivalent was fruitless.

Our first three tacos trucks all have a regional identity that is reflected in their cuisine.

The D.F. in Tacos D.F. stands for Distrito Federal or Federal District, which encompasses Mexico City. So it's like the DC in Washington DC. The work-in-progress design visible behind Adrian in the photo is the emblem of Club America, one of Mexico's most popular football (soccer) teams.

Los Regio proudly wears a Monterrey emblem. Monterrey is the capital city of the state of Nueva Leon, which is in Northeastern Mexico, inland from the Gulf and actually having a very small border with the former Mexican state of Texas.

Tacos Ensenada is named for the third largest city in Baja California, which accounts for the seafood emphasis in their menu.

I'll probably expand coverage out from the center as time goes by, and it remains to be seen how much detail I'll be able to provide about the taco trucks that I visit.

Readers in the Denver metro area are most welcome to submit their own reports-- anything from a recommendation or "request for a visit" to a full blown article with pictures. Just send them to me at tdeden@google.com.

Taqueria Corona

Taqueria Corona is a real sleeper! Tucked into an ordinary parking space in the middle of the shopping center at E. Mississippi Ave and S. Peoria St (southwest corner), it's real easy to miss, especially since they don't have any real signage. It's visible for a few seconds as you are driving East on Mississippi, but not if you blink. But it is definitely worth seeking out!

In fact, everything except the food is seriously understated.

The selection is perhaps a bit limited, but it is a tiny truck and the servings are generous. We enjoyed asada and adobada tacos and an al pastor burrito. Staffed by two women, and a young boy (12 or so) whose primary function seemed to be to interpret for us gringos, the service was fast and friendly.

Conveniently located about 30 yards away from a carniceria (Mexican butcher shop) this one is definitely worth another visit, soon.


--

Genuine Denver Taco Trucks

There aren't any! At least not what we think of as taco trucks. There are very few of them, they are called "loncheras" (roughly, "lunch wagons") and they can only operate in one location for 4 hours-- which probably explains why there are so few of them. In fact, the city has issued 47 licenses, but there is no way to know how many or few of them are active.

In practice, loncheras can stay in one place for an extra two hours as long as they are not actually operating for more than four. As City Council President Rosemary Rodriquez explained it: "They basically get six hours now because they get an hour to set up and an hour to tear down as a courtesy from the cops."

The loncheras are allowed to operate a maximum of 13 hours in a day, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., which would require them to move at least twice.

Denver's City Council is considering a controversial extension of lonchera operating hours to six hours in one location. There is a lot of resistance from neighborhood groups who fear increased "noise and trash." And, after all, it was only four years ago that the loncheras gained an increase from two hours to four!

Loncheras are also prohibited from setting up within 100 yards of a restaurant.

In contrast, other mobile food vendors such as hot dog stands are allowed to operate in one spot for up to twelve hours.

If this situation sounds a bit bizarre, it is less so for us locals who have at least a rudimentary knowledge of local geography, politics, and Denver city government. Other city and county governments in the area certainly have their faults, but at least they leave the taco trucks alone.

The photo below is from the Denver Post-- front page on August 10th. If you want to read the whole story (and there is quite a bit more) click here.

It Had to Happen

It had to happen-- I encountered a "bad" taco truck. Rather than post a review here, where it would probably influence the way you read the others, I've created a separate blog for Bad Taco Trucks. If you do happen to duck over there and read my little "horror story" please come back-- and don't let it put you off taco trucks. This one really was the exception.

Dos de Oros

Dos de Oros is located at the intersection of Peoria St. and E. Colfax Ave. It's in the parking lot just south of Colfax, on the west side of Peoria.

It's very busy, despite the Spanish-only menu, and so I didn't get to do my usual little interview about names and origins. Four tacos and a Mexican soda to go, and the tacos were great! She asked if I wanted everything on them, and that proved to be rice, of all things, and a pico de gallo sort of salad.

The name Dos de Oros means "Two of Coins" in the Mexican playing card deck, based on the Tarot, and it's also the name of a Mexican band.