Taco Truck 101

Living in LA we've all seen them. While some are glistening examples of the kind of heights that fast food can reach; others are very much the disgusting "roach coaches" they appear to be. The debate rages on and has in fact gone all the way to city hall on more than a few occasions. While I try not to politicize my eating, I'll get out and fight for the rights of the noble taco vendor any day...why?

I freaking love tacos....

It's kind of strange considering that I am of New York Jewish heritage, but I loves me some tacos. Somewhere between the layers of meat, onion, cilantro, salsa and tortilla I find culinary bliss. To me there is nothing more quintessentially LA than going to the taco truck, ordering two taco's "al pastor," two taco's carne asada and a coke, then sitting on milk crates eating the taco's piled high with a fiery salsa.

While everyone has their favorite taco trucks, and I'll even go in depth in future posts about my favorite spots, let me give you dear readers a beginners guide for spotting the best neighborhood taco truck:

1) Be Of The People - Find the truck with a lot of people eating...usually a good sign.
2) Don't be a "Gringo." Give it a shot, when you try another culture's food eat it as the locals do. *However don't be afraid that you'll be judged for asking for cheese or mild salsa, it only barely makes you a "girly man."
3) Just because a taco is $1 or less don't worry; your local taco truck probably uses fresher meat than your local Taco Bell.
4) When you find your truck, or trucks, stick with it.

If everyone could just open up their hearts and stomachs to the beauty that is the taco truck we'd live in a much nicer world.