BLOCHO'S TACOS

The much anticipated PART THREE. Los Tacos No. 1 The energy at LTNO is great. You order at the cashier and then stand at the counter waiting for them to call your name and having the opportunity to personalize your taco with toppings. The line move relatively quickly and the staff is friendly. We ordered the chicken tacos and tacos al pastor (the al pastor does not appear on the menu but it is available!). Shortly after ordering, our tacos were presented and I bit into the chicken taco. I chewed. I waited. Was I dreaming? Had I actually put food in my mouth? The chicken was flavorless. I could not distinguish between meat and tortilla and toppings. It was empty calories. With very little spice or flavor of any sort, I tried to doctor up my taco with salsa and lime and then I realized I was eating salsa and lime wrapped in a semi-spongy tortilla. I was disappointed. Thinking maybe I ordered incorrectly, I moved on to the Al Pastor taco feeling nervous and exciting for this “off...

Part Two. Otto’s Tacos As we entered Otto’s Tacos, I quickly realized that our extremely scientific taco taste test methodology was flawed. We did not agree on a standardized taco flavor to try at every spot therefore committing to comparing apples to oranges to chorizo to pollo. Also, the type of taco (sit down restaurant vs fast casual) was also mis-matched. However, I bit my tongue and pushed onwards still excited for the plethora of tacos I had in my future. At Otto’s we were greeted by Maggie, the cheerful woman behind the counter, who was busy entering take out and delivery orders, much to her chagrin, and by the time she was ready for our order was flustered but appeasing. We wanted to take advantage of the taco + a beer deal, but rather than order a beer, I wanted a horchata. She said she couldn’t do the official swap, but could throw in the Horchata if we tipped her. So #winning. Maggie! We ordered the special of the day - a crispy short rib taco and th...

Part One. I have recently returned to life in the USA after a two year stint living in London. I loved London. Life felt more manageable there compared to the hectic hubbub of New York City and I had all of  Europe in my backyard. I took advantage of this...and more than just Europe. In two years, I set foot in 23 different countries, many more cities and made sure to eat my way through all these new lands. One thing I missed the most about the States, about NY...and about some of my favorite American cities, LA and Austin and San Francisco, was TACOS. Apparently Mexican cuisine exists in London. I had my fare share of “Mexican style” food, but I missed the true true warm-tortilla-sizzling-meat-oil-and-toppings-dripping-out-the-back-end-of-the tortilla-all-over-my-hands tacos that I have come to adore in my taco eating adventures. So once happily back in the Big Apple, my friend, Harry, suggested that we catch up over tacos and tequila. Music to my ears. Plus, we were b...

Upon hearing that I have a blog devoted to tasting tacos from around the country (and globe), people ask me where to find the best tacos -- what is my favorite?  I tend to give a complicated answer.   "It depends what you're looking for." In New York, if you want upscale Mexican with delicious tacos and kick-ass margaritas: Empellon Taqueria in the West Village. If you're looking for super standard street-style no-frills tacos,  Tehuitzingo Deli. The spot for delicious tacos but where the all-star menu item is   not  tacos: El Centro . The list and descriptors goes on. Well, when venturing to Los Angeles, it seems that everyone agrees upon one favorite: Guisado's .  Guisado's on Sunset (original is in Boyle Heights) Now I understand why.  These tacos are easily in the top 5 of all tacos I've tasted.  They win big with the tortillas.  Stone ground corn masa is turned into delectable, hearty, fresh-made torti...

Recently, I've been thinking about my digital brand and online presence.  I am Blocho's Tacos. And more. This online log of tacos and other foods and places has become an element of my identity and a go-to place to personally and publicly explore my "musings".  My identity stretches far beyond tacos.  So, is it inauthentic to use this as a forum for non-taco related things?  Do I need multiple digital outlets for my different interests? I'm still not sure. All I know is that as challenging as it is to admit, there is life beyond tacos that I've started exploring. But there will always be tacos.

Tacos. I love them. Cleanses. I love them. (Yep, I do.) Yoga. I love it. After leaving one of the best yoga classes I've taken at Om Factory - Fashion District, I checked my phone and had a message waiting from my sister.  No words.  Just a link. This link. http://greatideas.people.com/2016/01/06/taco-cleanse-yoga-poses/ I knew this would be epic.  Taco cleanse yoga poses?  There was nothing in the URL that I didn't like.  A taco cleanse may seem like the opposite of the ever popular juice cleanse, but isn't there something to be said for changing up our routines? Salivating over the idea of eating tacos post-yoga, I quickly learned about the book The Taco Cleanse  (I will be starting my cleanse on Cinco de Mayo, of course) and the hilarious Taco Yoga Poses below. From The Taco Cleanse  and http://greatideas.people.com/2016/01/06/taco-cleanse-yoga-poses/ The brilliant minds behind this cleanse and detoxifying yogic culinar...

Picture this: One man. Three tacos. Chips and guac. Coffee. ACTION! That is exactly what you'll get in this made-for-virtual-reality short film .  Danny Trejo has a taco shop in LA and you can watch him eat his eponymous tacos for three minutes.  It's fascinating. My favorite part is his amusement at the lettuce-"shelled" taco. This video made me really hungry. *This doesn't deserve an Oscar, but I still love it.

Tired of boring bagels and cream cheese for the office breakfast? What about BREAKFAST TACOS? In November, I learned about Farm 2 Tacos and am bewildered that it has taken me so long to blog about this brilliant concept.  Delivery breakfast tacos! The variety of flavors and combinations is quite astonishing -- from fillings to tortilla types -- you can really make this a crowd pleaser. I'm looking forward to: Maple Bacon Indian Eggs (what is that?) Chunky Guacamole Pure Brisket Kale Spicy Potatoes Corn tortilla. Always.  (But if you want flour, spelt, whole wheat etc, you can have that too.) 30 tacos for approximately $150 does seem a bit more expensive than the bagel and CC route, but well worth it.  Think of all the protein and veggie goodness! Hopefully I will order these soon and will review them more promptly.

Despite my inability to eat the fortune cookies that come with an order of Chinese food, I love cracking them open and reading the hilarious fortunes bestowed upon me. Every once in a while I receive a fortune that really seems to fit.  I slip that little slice of paper into my wallet and occasionally stumble upon it and am reminded of its relevance. In an effort to Marie Kondo  my life and throw out all joyless items, I was reaching for my insurance card and decided to clean out my wallet.  Why keep these pieces of paper when I can digitize  them?  So, I did. Executive Ability is prominent in your makeup. Sweet.  Fortune 500, here I come! Don't wait for your ship to come in; swim out to it. Yes. Seize life. Grab onto it. Carpe diem. Brief philosophical diatribe on fortune cookies.  Have you ever ordered one entree, one appetizer, and one side for yourself knowing that you'll have leftovers and receive 18 fortune cookies?  ...

Today is National Margarita Day*.  It's also Tuesday ergo Taco Tuesday.  What a delightful combination. I feel like I have not been OUT for tacos in ages.  So I started scoping the interwebs for the latest and greatest NYC tacos.   The Infatuation sent me to Zagat's list  of 38 delicious NY tacos (helpful tool #1) and after perusing their page, I clicked through to helpful tool #2. Best NYC Tacos By Type BY TYPE.  Brilliant.  Sometimes you're really craving that chicken taco and beef or pork won't cut it.  Alas, your problems are solved.  Have a nice life. I also like this because most taco places offer multiple types of tacos and how can you really compare a veggie taco to a fish taco?  You're right, you cannot. So, keep things consistent and launch an adventure to eat all chorizo tacos next time you plan a taco tour. Buen provecho. *Where do people come up with these?  Who makes them "official"?  Why am I so obs...

Granola is not "good for you".  I remember the pangs of disappointment and loss I felt when I learned that my high school go-to-breakfast of bowls filled with granola (a.k.a. Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey bars broken into pieces) was not the breakfast of champions.  Store bought granola is packed with sugar, not to mention all the processed grains, dried fruits etc. Being gluten-free, I have a burning desire to try everything labeled as such and so have had my fair share of unhealthy granolas -- gluten free is not a euphemism for health -- pass through my kitchen (and into my mouth). The options have increased tremendously -- Udi's, Purely Elizabeth, Bare Naked, KIND -- and if you want to find gluten free granola, there is a spectrum of choices and health qualities you can choose from. In an effort to minimize my grocery store spending and maximize the health benefits of my food but still enjoy the sweet delicious crunchy goodness of granola, I set out to make my ow...

As a kid I never ate seafood.  The smell and look of salmon, lobster, swordfish, or whatever ocean / river / fish tank dweller my mom brought home disgusted me.  I used to get bribes to taste the fish -- $1 for a bite of salmon, $5 for a lobster claw -- but nothing seemed to work.  Except mayonnaise, carrots, and celery.  I loved Bumble Bee Tuna out of a can and mixed up into the most delicious tuna salad in the world -- my mom's. With years came maturity and adventurousness and I started eating seafood.  I took the $5 bribe and realized I liked lobster claws, but not the tails.  A tuna avocado roll doused in soy sauce (now gluten-free tamari) and loaded up with pickled ginger was quite delicious. Two sticky situations led me to try shrimp and salmon* and my expected reactions -- immediate hurling -- was dwarfed by the pure enjoyment. Tuna salad will always hold a dear place in my heart at my fish-eating gateway drug.  Combining tuna salad ...

In a world of digital, the newest / latest / greatest app is always of interest to me.  When Snapchat came out a few years ago, I had a lot of questions.  Was it just for sending illicit photos? I used it primarily for sending my sister and close friends the ugliest selfies I could come up with.  I found it hilarious. I got bored and deleted the app (although my account remained active). In December, over lunch at Bluestone Lane Cafe (GO THERE IF YOU HAVE YET TO!) I whipped out my phone for the #basic #brunch #avotoast #foodporn Instagram.  I commented to my friend, Lisa, that she had not posted to Instagram in many months.  "I know...now I do everything on Snapchat." Excuse me?! Tell me more. Lisa explained to me the ins and outs of Snapchat.  I learned about stories and things disappearing in 24 hours and the chat function and filters.  This could be fun. So, I re-downloaded Snapchat and began. I'm hooked. Why do I like Snapchat...