BLOCHO'S TACOS

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.

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...

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...

For West Coast/Bay Area aficionados, the place to get delicious (and inexpensive) Mexican food is The Mission. When I said I wanted tacos (and a burrito for my non-gluten free companions), everyone suggested El Farolito.  Arriving to a line that snaked out of the small NY pizza-joint styled eatery confirmed that this was the place to eat. Standing outside in the unseasonably cold San Francisco winter weather (low 40s!), we deliberated the offerings and drooled over the menu.  Watching the guys expertly craft the steak quesadillas on the griddle was almost enough to sway my from my true calling. I opted for an al pastor and carne asada tacos.  Expertly places on double corn tortillas with onions and cilantro, these tacos were good.  Really good.  The meat was juicy and plentiful and although I went a bit overboard on the super spicy salsa (red pico de gallo looking salsa), I balance the intensity with the cooling green tomatillo/avocado (??) option....

I really love tacos.  The soft corn tortilla, the warm and flavorful meat, the endless options of "toppings" -- cilantro, onion, guacamole, salsa, pomegranate seeds, mustard (yes, try the Short-Rib Pastrami taco at Empellon Cocina ),  Sometimes, when I want to spice things up, I order Tostadas.  It's a completely different experience.  Crispy. Slightly messy.  Usually with beans, guac, and/or sour cream. Well, today I discovered (via Instagram and The Infatuation), Taqueria Diana .  When you first open their website and the menu page, it looks like they only serve chicken and tostadas.  I got really really excited.  A place with only  tostadas?! That's like a Taqueria revolution. Quickly came to realize that their menu contains more than that, but I'm excited to go and try their tostadas!

Supreme meaning #5.  But I'll take it. The NPD Group puts out an "Eating Patterns in America" report each year and guess who made it to the #5 spot?  Yes! You're right! MEXICAN. Tacos for days. via Univision

I've been slacking.  On blog posting and taco eating.  I'm embarrassed to even boast that I have a blog about taco-ish things. Today I received an email. 3 Taco Shops to know.  I know 1.  Empellon al Pastor opened recently and comes from the amazing line of Empellon Taqueria and Empellon Cocina.  I know it, but I've never been.  And the others?  Maybe I have heard them mentioned once before, but really they all sounded pretty new.   And I call myself a taco blogger.  Sheesh. Well, clearly this needs to be remedied in the upcoming months and what better way to spend my November and December than eating tacos? But check out this guide, because everything looks way delicious.  http://www.insidehook.com/table-stakes-october-2014

I love a good infographic.  My dad often forwards me his Daily Infographic email when the topic is something he knows I'll love...How to Moonwalk, 50 Things Every Traveler Should Know, Beer and Your Body (I'm gluten free), and my all time favorite: A Visual Guide to Reading His Texts (Thanks, Dad.) Today I found an infographic about Tacos.  It's pretty awesome. Thanks to  fitsme  for enlightening me with this Taco Food Pyramid.

During my annual check up, I sat and watched the phlebotomist draw blood for my standard blood tests, thinking everything would be just dandy. 3 days later I found out that my Vitamin B12 levels, while in the "normal range" are on the low side.  This slight B12 deficiency likely explains why I've been going to bed at 10pm and still feeling exhausted. So, how do you amp up that B12? Two options: with a supplement or by eating foods in which B12 occurs naturally. Part of my feels strongly opposed to taking a supplement because there are natural sources for B12, but most of them are animal products (red meat! clams! liverwurst!) and I'm always conscious of the ethical - and health - impact of animal products/animal protein.  Plus, my recent trip to Israel has not convinced me to keep Kosher, but I certainly take note of when I'm not doing so.  Yay treif! Looking at the list of foods my doc recommended, I could definitely see myself heavily consumer many of t...

My blog mission states: JOURNEY FOR THE MOST DELICIOUS TACO .... In other words, I am looking for the best taco in the world with a heavy focus on the United States. When I was tipped off that The Huffington Post had released an article from The Daily Meal entitled "America's Best Tacos" , I got really excited. HuffPo highlights Torchy's Tacos in Austin, TX (that I absolutely LOVED during my time - and Taco Adventure - in Austin) and Los Tacos No. 1 in Chelsea Market in NYC (which I have visited, but did not blog...sorry.) as two top picks from The Daily Meal's list of 50 . I love this.  I had to stop looking through the slideshow because my mouth was watering. Literally. " Tacos are a food that inspires fierce loyalty." I know have lots and lots of new additions to my "Tacos to Try" list...and some travels to do!  It seems like various places in Texas and San Diego should be my first stop.

I posted a question/poll on Twitter.  Do you know anyone that DOESN'T like tacos? I am expecting an [overwhelming] response of "NO!".  When you break it down, a taco is a tortilla with some stuff in it.  That stuff can be meat, veggies, or a combination.  Heck, if you want to make a fruit taco, go for it! Tacos are becoming pretty mainstream.  I'd be hard pressed to find a city without some sort of Mexican food/taco outlet.  Not saying that this will be a good  place for tacos, but it's bound to exist. The proliferation of taco photos on social media has grown significantly.  In honor of everyone's tacograms today for Cinco de Mayo, I provide my hashtag taco mashup. #tacos And oh, so many more. A few of my favorites: Major kudos to all the Instagramming from: Food 52 -   Zagat - Thrillist - Be Well with Arielle - Food Network - Bon Appetit - NYC Food and Travel - Treat House  - The New Potato -a...

La Fonda Nolita, Tacombi Tacos.  A Mexican food mecca in NoLita.  The only reason I am writing about tacos while cleansing is that I really love Tacombi and the folks behind the place are opening a NEW restaurant in Flatiron -- Cafe El Presidente. Any time of day you go, Tacombi is likely to be jam-packed with neighborhood regulars, tourists, young, old etc, and all having a wonderful time.  I imagine the same will be said of Cafe El Presidente.  Once I'm eating solid food, this place will be at the top of my "To Do" list.  They even have breakfast offerings (although probably not gfree).   My first time at Tacombi was back in August when I gathered with friends for a late Saturday evening dinner.  It was delicious and made all that much better by the company. Sangria! (They only have Wine/Sangria/Cerveza) Friends! Shrimp and ???? Too long ago to remember, but I loved them both! I also discovered my favorite iteration of ic...

Austin is known for their tacos.  I know that Texas is where "Tex-Mex" food originated (duh), but what is about Austin and tacos, specifically?  The world wide web yields many results for "Best Tacos in Austin" or restaurant/taqueria proprietary sites, but the strong connection between Austin and Tacos is still a mystery.  I overcame the unknown and embarked on a taco adventure in Austin, TX. The first "tacos" I had were at  Arturo's Bakery and Cafe  on 17th Street (an easy walk from UT's campus).  I walked into this little restaurant/counter service joint and loved how immediately friendly the man behind the counter was.  The chalkboard menu features breakfast (served until 11am) with the ever popular Austin staple -- The Breakfast Taco.  They had sandwiches and salads and quesadillas.  Where were the tacos?  I asked for a quesadillas  suggestion.  If I was in the mood for something sweet, the Sesame Ginger Chicken 'd...