Eat the Menu: Tacodeli, Days 17 and 18

This is part of an ongoing series about my quest to try all of the yumminess at local restaurant Tacodeli. See my eat the menu tag for the other parts of the series. Scores are summarized here.

It has been a busy, busy two days. Fortunately, both of those days featured tasty tacos, so overall they were good days.

Tuesday, June 1
Yesterday I decided to knock two pork tacos off my list: Cochinita Pibil and a "safe" Mole Pork. Surely mole is mole is mole, right?

The Cochinita Pibil is described as "Yucatecan style roasted pork marinated and cooked in citrus and achiote. A unique tropical flavor garnished with pickled purple onions and serranos." First of all, holy crap, "Yucatecan" is actually a word. I thought sure that was a typo. Second, this taco was really simple, but also pretty darn good. I give it 0.75 moles.

After that pleasant pork experience, I was really looking forward to the Mole Pork. I love mole, so of course the Mole Taco Pork ("Shredded pork smothered with a traditional, made-from-scratch mole. Garnished with cilantro, onion and crumbled queso fresco.) was going to be even better, right? As it turns out, not so much. This didn't taste nearly as awesome as the Mole Taco Chicken or Mole Taco Sirloin. I mean, clearly, I just don't like pork very much. I give this one 0.7 moles.

Wednesday, June 2
Today I had to get my Tacodeli to go, which means my tacos didn't look nearly as yummy as they would have otherwise. That's Puerco Verde on the left and Frontera Fundido Portabella on the left.

Puerco Verde is "Tender pork shoulder simmered in a delicious tomatillo salsa and topped with queso fresco, cilantro and onion." As pork tacos go, this was pretty good. It wasn't exciting, but it was solid. I give it 0.8 moles.

The Frontera Fundido Portabella, "Oven roasted portabellas with sauteed pepper and onion strips and glazed with melted Monterrey jack cheese," just looked delicious, and it lived up to its appearance. To be fair, I'm hobbit-like in my love of mushrooms, so it's no surprise that I loved this thing, but wow was that good. I'll definitely be getting this one again. I give it 0.9 moles.

Summary:

• Cochinita Pibil: 0.75 moles
• Mole Taco Pork: 0.7 moles
• Puerco Verde: 0.8 moles
• Frontera Fundido Portabella: 0.9 moles

My list of remaining tacos is dwindling. I should finish everything but the breakfast tacos over the next two days, but the odd number of remaining non-breakfast tacos mean I'll either repeat a taco or try something else from the menu. Any suggestions?

1. Beef: Mexico City Sirloin ("Grilled sirloin with diced onion and cilantro.")
2. Chicken: Frontera Fundido Chicken ("Grilled chicken with sauteéd poblano pepper and onion strips glazed with melted Monterrey jack cheese.")
3. Chicken: Mexico City Chicken ("Grilled chicken with diced onion and cilantro.")
4. Breakfast: Migas Taco ("Eggs scrambled with our migas mix and topped with Monterrey jack cheese.")
5. Breakfast: Migas Royale Plate ("A heaping plate of our migas topped with queso, Monterrey jack cheese, avocado and pico de gallo. Served with Mexican mashed potatoes, refried black beans and tortillas.")
6. Breakfast: The Sirloin, Egg and Cheese ("Grilled sirloin, scrambled egg and Monterrey jack cheese.")

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Posted in: eat the menu,food,Tacodeli

Eat the Menu: Tacodeli, Days 15 and 16

This is part of an ongoing series about my quest to try all of the yumminess at local restaurant Tacodeli. See my eat the menu tag for the other parts of the series. Scores are summarized here.

This weekend I not only made my first weekend trip to Tacodeli since starting this, I did so on all three days of the weekend. After Saturday's rendezvous with Tacodeli North, I returned to my usual Central on Sunday for breakfast. I may need to give other breakfast taco joints a chance at a head-to-head with Tacodeli. I'm honestly not sure I like their breakfast tacos all that much. The doña sauce makes up for it, but doña on someone else's breakfast tacos might possibly be even better. This time I tried the Jess Special ("Eggs scrambled with our migas mix and topped with Monterrey jack cheese and fresh sliced avocado") and El Popeye ("Spinach and scrambled egg breakfast taco with crumbled queso fresco Mexican white cheese"). They were both OK, but neither was particularly special. Still good compared to "normal" tacos, but they don't stand up to the lunch standards. I give them 0.55 and 0.5 moles, respectively.

Today I met some friends for another tryst with Tacodeli North, this time for lunch. I used this lunch to compare the picadillos: Picadillo (from the beef menu) and Thunder Heart Bison Picadillo. The Picadillo is "100% grass fed Burgundy Pasture ground beef in a spicy tomato and jalapeño sauce, garnished with lettuce and tomato." This taco was very... interesting. There's a hint of cinnamon or something in there, I couldn't place it. Something about it reminded me of pumpkin pie. I'm giving it 0.85 moles, but I definitely have to try this one again. It seemed like the sort of thing that might grow on me.

The Thunder Heart Bison Picadillo wasn't as interesting, but it was definitely good. I grew up around the corner from a bison ranch, but I never tried bison until much later. It has always been very good, the few times I've tried it. This is no exception. I give it 0.9 moles.

Summary:

• Jess Special: 0.55 moles
• El Popeye: 0.5 moles
• Picadillo: 0.85 moles
• Thunder Heart Bison Picadillo: 0.9 moles

This is what I have left:

1. Beef: Mexico City Sirloin ("Grilled sirloin with diced onion and cilantro.")
2. Pork: Mole Taco Pork ("Shredded pork smothered with a traditional, made-from-scratch mole. Garnished with cilantro, onion and crumbled queso fresco.")
3. Pork: Puerco Verde ("Tender pork shoulder simmered in a delicious tomatillo salsa and topped with queso fresco, cilantro and onion.")
4. Pork: Cochinita Pibil ("Yucatecan style roasted pork marinated and cooked in citrus and achiote. A unique tropical flavor garnished with pickled purple onions and serranos.")
5. Chicken: Frontera Fundido Chicken ("Grilled chicken with sauteéd poblano pepper and onion strips glazed with melted Monterrey jack cheese.")
6. Chicken: Mexico City Chicken ("Grilled chicken with diced onion & cilantro.")
7. Veggie: Frontera Fundido Portabella ("Oven roasted portabellas with sauteed pepper & onion strips and glazed with melted Monterrey jack cheese.")
8. Breakfast: Migas Taco ("Eggs scrambled with our migas mix and topped with Monterrey jack cheese.")
9. Breakfast: Migas Royale Plate ("A heaping plate of our migas topped with queso, Monterrey jack cheese, avocado and pico de gallo. Served with Mexican mashed potatoes, refried black beans and tortillas.")
10. Breakfast: The Sirloin, Egg and Cheese ("Grilled sirloin, scrambled egg and Monterrey jack cheese.")

I'm going to try the Puerco Verde or Cochinita Pibil tomorrow, I think, but I need something really solidly good as backup in case whichever I get tastes too much like the Puerco Borracho. Any suggestions?

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Posted in: eat the menu,food,Tacodeli

Eat the Menu: Tacodeli, Day 14

This is part of an ongoing series about my quest to try all of the yumminess at local restaurant Tacodeli. See my eat the menu tag for the other parts of the series. Scores are summarized here.

I feel like I was cheating on my usual location with this stop. I was on the north side of town, so I went to the north location for lunch. A friend was randomly at the central location at very close to the same time, though, so I think that makes it ok.

The first taco I tried was the weekend special, Lomo Especial, "Diced roasted pork loin served Fundido style with a Monterry Jack cheese glaze and garnished with cilantro and onion." I think this was the best-smelling taco I've had yet. The flavor didn't quite hold up to that wonderful aroma, but I still gave it 0.85 moles.

I also had the Veggie Taco, "Our special veggie mix of carrots, onion, celery, red bell, poblano, zucchini, mushroom and cabbage sauteéd in olive oil and sherry." This was good but a little dull. Adding doña definitely helped. I gave it 0.75 moles.

Summary:

• Lomo Especial: 0.85 moles
• Veggie Taco: 0.75 moles

Here's what I have left (now including breakfast, since I forgot to include them the other day).

1. Beef: Mexico City Sirloin ("Grilled sirloin with diced onion and cilantro.")
2. Beef: Picadillo ("100% grass fed Burgundy Pasture ground beef in a spicy tomato and jalapeño sauce, garnished with lettuce and tomato.")
3. Bison: Thunder Heart Bison Picadillo ("Ground bison seasoned with roasted garlic, tomato, caramelized onion, melted jack cheese and jalapeño. Topped with fresh cilantro and onions.")
4. Pork: Mole Taco Pork ("Shredded pork smothered with a traditional, made-from-scratch mole. Garnished with cilantro, onion and crumbled queso fresco.")
5. Pork: Puerco Verde ("Tender pork shoulder simmered in a delicious tomatillo salsa and topped with queso fresco, cilantro and onion.")
6. Pork: Cochinita Pibil ("Yucatecan style roasted pork marinated and cooked in citrus and achiote. A unique tropical flavor garnished with pickled purple onions and serranos.")
7. Chicken: Frontera Fundido Chicken ("Grilled chicken with sauteéd poblano pepper and onion strips glazed with melted monterrey jack cheese.")
8. Chicken: Mexico City Chicken ("Grilled chicken with diced onion & cilantro.")
9. Veggie: Frontera Fundido Portabella ("Oven roasted portabellas with sauteed pepper & onion strips and glazed with melted monterrey jack cheese.")
10. Breakfast: Migas Taco ("Eggs scrambled with our migas mix and topped with monterrey jack cheese.")
11. Breakfast: The Jess Special ("Eggs scrambled with our migas mix and topped with monterrey jack cheese and fresh sliced avocado."
12. Breakfast: Migas Royale Plate ("A heaping plate of our migas topped with queso, monterrey jack cheese, avocado and pico de gallo. Served with Mexican mashed potatoes, refried black beans and tortillas.")
13. Breakfast: The Sirloin, Egg and Cheese ("Grilled sirloin, scrambled egg and monterrey jack cheese.")
14. Breakfast: El Popeye ("Spinach and scrambled egg breakfast taco with crumbled queso fresco Mexican white cheese.")

What should I try next?

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Posted in: eat the menu,food,Tacodeli

Eat the Menu: Tacodeli, Day 13

This is part of an ongoing series about my quest to try all of the yumminess at local restaurant Tacodeli. See my eat the menu tag for the other parts of the series. Scores are summarized here.

Last night, inspired by my friend Jeffrey, I decided I'd start watching what I eat and try to get my weight down under 200 pounds. So, of course, I decided to add a side to my usual two tacos today. I'm not very good at this watching what I eat thing, apparently. Oh well, I think it was worth it, and it technically allowed me to knock two more things off the menu than I would have otherwise. Today was also the day the cashiers recognized me, so it was a big day.

My side today was a 50/50, half rice and half beans. As part of Tacodeli's effort to drive everyone deliciously mad through choice paralysis, they offer two types of rice (Mexican red and steamed brown) and three types of beans (pinto, black, and refried black), so technically I still have quite a ways to go in those sides. Honestly, the black beans and brown rice were unsurprising, so I probably won't worry too much about knocking all of those possibilities off my list unless someone comments that "The Mexican red rice is omg amazing!" or something. There was nothing wrong with them, but they're definitely just a side. I'll give them 0.3 moles each.

The first of my tacos was the Happy Taco, "Seasoned shredded chicken with sauteéd mushrooms and melted jack cheese, garnished with cilantro and onion." I keep almost getting the Happy and bumping it down the list for some other choice, so this one had a bit of anticipation behind it. It wasn't as amazing as I hoped, but it was definitely a solid performance. I give it 0.7 moles.

I paired that with the Florentino, "Healthy fresh spinach taco sauteéd in olive oil and sherry with onion, mushroom and red bell peppers." I love spinach, so that one has also been on my to-do list for quite a while. I thought it was a little stronger. I give it 0.8 moles.

Summary:

• Black Beans: 0.3 moles
• Steamed Brown Rice: 0.3 moles
• Happy Taco: 0.7 moles
• Florentino: 0.8 moles

I also discovered today that Tacodeli has a "buy 12 get 1 free" loyalty card. If my count just now was correct, that's 28 tacos at this location before I noticed that card sitting by the register (well, the cashier pointed it out to me when she noticed I'd been there a zillion times, so technically I never noticed). I have three stamps on there now, at least. If you don't have one, be sure to pick one up the next time you're there.

Only ten tacos left! If I don't repeat, I'll be done next week! Except I totally forgot to include breakfast tacos, and I may not make it in on Monday! Oops! Can someone help me break out of this exclamation point trap by recommending what I should get if I make it in this weekend, or when I return on Tuesday?

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Posted in: eat the menu,food,Tacodeli

What's the matter with us?

A three-year-old named Marcus was found wandering the streets in an Ohio town and then quickly placed in foster care. Some time later, Marcus was found bound and gagged, wrapped in a blanket and dead in a closet. His foster parents decided to put him there when they left town for a few days to attend a family reunion. The temperature outside was in the 90�s. The temperature in the closet went well over 100. Marcus died in a closet, tied up like an animal. The flesh on his feet was blistered and torn from his struggle to get free� He was just three-years-old.

He was just a baby.

�A half-million children like Marcus are drifting through foster care, dependent on a system that too often fails to meet their needs. Blaming the current system will not fix it, and looking the other way is no longer an option. As long as there are children, there will be children who cannot depend on their parents to take care of them. As long as the government shoulders responsibility for their daily care, there will be children who suffer. Until the community steps forward to right the wrongs of vulnerable kids, their childhoods will vanish, along with our hope for a better future for all of our children��

(from INVISIBLE KIDS, by Holly Schlaack)

Marcus� family failed him. The foster system failed him. The community failed him. But more than half a million foster children like Marcus are still here� waiting to be given a chance at a childhood. We can�t fail them.

I live in Jefferson County, Alabama. In my city alone, there are more than 2,000 children in the foster system and less than 200 �approved� foster families willing to help.

How is this possible? What�s the matter with us?

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