A little mini-taco-tour through Salinas last week…
Tico’s Tacos turns out to be a small family chain of sorts. Oh boy. Yeah… just don’t go here. One of the more horrible taco experiences I have stumbled into in recent memory. Its location nearby 2 of my favorite wine-shops in Salinas made it an easy visit. If you’re fat and white and stupid, this is where you eat Mexican food. End of review. ◊
Taqueria Jalisco on the East-side of Salinas where Mexican food is a bit more predictable. Not horrible by any stretch of the imagination, but not exemplary. ♦
Los Grullenses right practically under the 101 in Salinas is one of those places that makes all the taco-exploring worth it. Dirty little place on a dirt lot in a quite un-pretty part of town. No matter. Several generations working inside–the parents took my order with much gesturing and more of my bad Spanish–then the teen-age daughter came over and made sure everything had translated properly. Ordered the usual, but they arrived in a way unfamiliar to me. Folded over in little rolls, onion and cilantro on the side, more of those irregular, coarse little Oaxacan tortillas, BUT! alongside the marinated pork inside was a thin shmear of refried beans! I’ve had bean tacos plenty of times, and of course Taco Bell’s Combo Burrito has been around for 40 years, but this was a first for me at a taqueria. No salsa came on the tacos, but was presented with an unlabelled squeeze-bottle containing a bright red liquid and told to “be careful”. I love this place! ♦♦
eatdrink101 