Food Truck Friday - Taco Time Traveler

For this week, I'm showcasing a truck that some might disparage as a corporate attempt to hone in on a grassroots movement, but being a Seattle-area native, I consider to be NW comfort food: Taco Time Traveler.

Two of the victims of the Capitol Hill condo-fication were the Taco Time on 15th Madison and the Taco Bell on Broadway. When I lived on 'the hill', I was a regular at both. Usually Taco Time during daylight hours (or a quick bite before going out on the town), while Taco Bell was my 2am, drunken indulgence. When Dan & I moved to South Seattle, one of the perks is that we have a Taco Time and not one but two Taco Bells in our area. I even brought Taco Bell to our friend Craig on his last birthday, as we were often together on those drunken visits to the Broadway TB. And both bring up childhood memories of getting the treat of having fast-food for dinner, and high school years spent at Taco Bell.

Given my love of both, I was super excited to see the Taco Time Traveler parking regularly in the SLU neighborhood. They have a very limited menu of crisp & soft tacos, crisp burritos, and tostada salads, plus Mexi-fries (Regular and Sweet Potato). My real weakness on the menu is the crisp burritos, but couldn't justify the calories, so I went for the classic Chicken Soft Taco ($5.50 with tax). I could tell you how it was, but if you've ever had one, you already know. Just like their brick & mortar restaurants, the food was consistently produced using fresh ingredients, and was just what I expected. The service was also really friendly - coming out of the truck to greet me and take my order, and with a table set up with hot sauce, napkins, etc.

On my second visit, I went for the Bean Tostada Salad ($7 with tax). I'm not sure I've ever ordered one at their restaurants, so wasn't sure what to expect. It apparently normally comes with Ranch Dressing, but I was given the option of hot sauce instead. It was a little sad for the price - a flour tortilla bowl with beans, shredded lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, black olives and hot sauce. I didn't intend to eat the fried bowl, but couldn't resist a few bites... which turned into half the bowl. Oh well. It's a salad, so it's healthy, right?

Say what you want about Taco Bell, but don't you dare disparage my Taco Time.  They're a local, Seattle-born company celebrating 52 years since they opened their first store in White Center back in 1962. I'm happy to see they continue to evolve to match what customers want, and that I can get my fix here in SLU. It's worth noting that they give you enormous bags to carry your food away in, and as I carried the walking billboard into my building, it caught a lot of attention from folks excited about the prospect of Taco Time for lunch, too.

Food Truck Friday - Evolution Revolution

For this week's Food Truck Friday, I tried out the truck offering "New American Street Food" - Evolution Revolution.

My first visit was on a beautiful sunny spring day, and they were offering Mahi Mahi tacos, so I couldn't resist.  They were loaded with fish and bright flavors, though turned out to be a little messy.   The staff were super friendly, even saying hi to my dog, Hilo.  Later, Hilo did his best to spill my tacos, pulling me toward an adorable puppy he really wanted to sniff.

On my second visit, I tried out two menu items.  First, the Fried Brussels Sprouts ($5), which were golden brown and fragrant and tossed in a house made sambal chili and honey dressing.  Not too spicy hot, more sweet really, but wonderfully satisfying if you dig Brussels sprouts.

Since that wasn't exactly a full lunch, I also got the Thai tofu wrap ($8), which was packed with noodles, fried tofu, basil, tomatoes, and lots of peanut sauce.  It was pretty large (I really should've stopped at half), and my only complaint was the simple flour tortilla was a little gummy, as they tend to be .

The service in both visits was very friend and this time Hilo got a treat, too.  The food was yummy and I'll definitely head back soon.

Food Truck Friday - Papa Bois

This week, I had hoped to put together a post after visiting a new truck twice, but it just didn't happen, so I opted to post about one I visited once, but had two menu items, and am not in a big hurry to return to: Papa Bois Carribean Food Truck.



I tend to order specials, and today the Jerk Chicken Tacos ($8) were hand-written on the menu, so I gave it a go. I got two tacos with a cabbage slaw, mild jerk chicken, a creamy sauce and something crunchy that looked a little like pulverized pistachios or corn nuts. Each taco was on a single corn tortilla, which were soaked through by the time I got back to my desk to eat them, so they fell apart immediately. There was a little heat to the jerk seasoning, but certainly not the type of spice I suspect you get in Jamaica.

When I ordered the tacos, I got up-sold on the Black Bean Corn Salsa ($4), which reportedly went really well with the tacos. I can be a little overly susceptible to up-selling, and am also very put off by it. I don't like to haggle or argue, and after a lifetime of struggling with over-eating, I don't like someone pressuring me into eating more than I planned. But alas, I did.

The Salsa was just that - a simple mix of black beans, corn kernels, onion and a little bit of green pepper (not clear if it was bell pepper or something else). It had more flavor than I anticipated, but seemed superfluous. And pricey. $4 for a small tub of beans and corn.



Given the tacos fell apart, I was pressured during my customer experience, the prices were higher than comparable products elsewhere, and the food wasn't very memorable... and the fact that I have dozens more food trucks to try out... I likely won't be back to Papa Bois soon. If you had a different experience, or have a menu item you absolutely recommend, let me know!

Food Truck Friday - Contigo

My first visit to Contigo was long ago, when I believe they first started visiting South Lake Union with their 'Modern Mexican' food truck. Somehow, it wasn't until today that I made it back.



On that first visit, I started with a Pork Carnitas Taco ($2.5), which I recall being good, but not mind-blowingly better than the tacos down at El Tajin.



I also ordered the Sweet Potato and Pecan Gordita - a delicious little fried ravioli of dough, packed with sweet potato goodness. I recall it was like a little bite of Thanksgiving.

My visit to Contigo today was after their 2014 Taco Truck Challenge win.  This time I went for one of their 'Bowls' - a huge portion each of rice, beans and the meat of your choosing.  I went with the Chicken en Mole. ($8.25 + tax).

During my very brief wait, I got a sample of their habanero lemonade, which was excellent and left a burn in your throat (but not mouth).  It was a clear sign that they don't shy away from flavor and heat, which was reiterated when I dug into the rich mole chicken.  Each piece was coated with the sauce, which was more like a dry rub, and filled my mouth with flavor with each bite.  A little spicy, smokey, and just plain good.  The price seemed steep, but the portion is huge, and the service was quick and friendly.

Food Truck Friday - Tacos El Tajin

I'd always been intimidated by the long lines that grow at Tacos El Tajin starting very early. But what I never observed was just how quickly that line moves. As I learned on my first visit there this week, they are a well oiled machine!







One person takes orders and relays them to the people cooking from the first window at the back of the truck. Orders are called out as they are ready from a second window, midway down the truck. Then a third guy, standing curbside next to a condiment table, focuses only on payments. The whole thing went so smoothly that before I made it to pay, I had my tacos in hand. It looked like more complex orders might take a bit longer, but I didn't see anyone waiting long.







Their menu is also designed for speed, with their 10 menu items numbered and with clear pricing right where you need them and big enough (and not in someone's handwriting) so that it's easily read. There are five meat choices (Asada - Steak, Pollo - Chicken, Al Pastor - Spice Pork, Carnitas - Refried Pork, Lengua - Tongue), all with English translations. Sides are available to customize your choice, but also kept to a short list: rice, beans, avocado, cheese and extra meat. Only the drink menu is somewhat long. I figured I'd start at the top, and go for the #1: 4 tacos for $5 special.







I went with my taco truck standby, the lengua (tongue) as my first taco choice, on two tacos. I decided two meats would be the best option, so I'd be sure I knew which was which. 4 different meats can get a little confusing, I've learned. The lengua was tender and flavorful, and the start of the tacos, with just cilantro, onion and lime wedges to accompany them in the small double-corn tortillas. Of course, I couldn't resist the super-hot sauce (in the yellow bottle), plus some tomatillo salsa and crema. Even with a little crema, I was feeling the heat for awhile after eating.







I also went for Chicken tacos, which were on the dry side, so I'll probably stick with lengua or try the pork options in the future. I'll be heading back soon to try a torta, most likely... or maybe just more delicious and quick tacos.

Food Truck Friday: Tacos El Asadero

I'm having a little 'staycation' this week, extending my Memorial Day weekend a couple extra days. So today's Food Truck Friday gives you a break from the South Lake Union focus, and takes us instead to my neighborhood: South Seattle.







There are two buses in South Seattle converted to food trucks, both named Tacos El Asadero. I'm not sure if they're the same company, but I do know the one on MLK and Othello - right next to the Light Rail station, is delicious. A couple friends of ours moved to our neighborhood but a little closer to El Asadero, and go there a LOT. Somehow, though, Dan & I have never made it together - but I've been on my own. Way back in October 2010, I visited to try the Lengua Mulitas, ordering from the window on the side of the bus. Lengua is tongue - one of my favorite cuts of offal and a favorite taco filling. The tongue was tender and the tortillas were crisp, and, like everything I've ordered, it came with two little sauces - green and red.







This week, I returned for the Spicy Pork Torta - a Mexican sandwich. Given the spring rains this week, the window was closed - but the bus itself was open. I hadn't realized it, but most of the bus interior is a dining room, complete with a TV showing telenovelas. There was a group already eating inside when I arrived, but I opted to get my food to go - since Hilo was waiting patiently in the car. The sandwich was very messy (the spicy pork kinda fell everywhere, to Hilo's delight), but was full of flavor. It wasn't hot spicy, though, so I poured on the red sauce to add more kick.







I'm not sure whether the return of Huarachitos, which is going in right across Othello from El Asadero, will lead to them moving or struggling, but I know I'll be back to try more of the menu, and don't doubt our neighbors will, too.

Eating Bugs if Finally Fancy!

Our dear friend Tricia - who was an actress in plays we produced, has shared many a meal with us at our place, her place, at Anna & Jason's, and at restaurants and was the inspiration for and recipient of my first attempt at a croquembouche - is leaving Seattle in a couple weeks. She's returning to Georgia to begin studying make-up with a goal of doing the type of awesome make-up effects work I love, like the stuff on Face Off. I'm a little jealous, but very excited to hear about her experience.

Tonight, to pack in seeing as many friends as possible before she leaves town, she invited folks to St. John's on Capitol Hill for drinks, conversation, and goodbyes.

Dan & I headed to the hill early to grab some dinner. First we popped into Quinn's to have a drink and snack (for me) at the bar... the Scotch egg I've been craving for nearly 15 years.

We weighed options, but ended up deciding to eat at Poquitos, just across the street.



It took us a little looking to find a free spot in the atrium (one of three dining rooms in this place!), sitting at a fire pit table. But as soon as we sat down our server popped by to welcome us and brought over water. I quickly spotted a habanero tequila & passion fruit puree cocktail - La Fiona - and had to try it. I tried using the fire to light my shot, but you can see it was a little too variable. One thing I noticed as we walked up Pike St is that Seattle restaurants are DARK. The cocktail was tasty though - good heat from the pepper, but balanced with a sugared rim and the tart passion fruit.



The next thing I spotted on the menu was Chapulines, which I had to order. I've been a fan of entomophagy (eating insects) since studying entomology back in college, snacking on termites (blech), ants (lemony!) and crickets on several occasions. But I'd never been to a restaurant where they serve insects. Apparently, their time has come. These roasted grasshoppers are flown in from Oaxaca for Poquitos, apparently, and have a spicy, salty, nutty, sour taste thanks to the lime juice and seasonings. Dan & I both enjoyed them, though some of the legs (traditionally removed, I thought) stuck in my teeth.

I figured out a trick using Dan's phone to take photos and my phone's Flashlight app to light them (held in Dan's hand), that worked better for this and the rest of the shots, thankfully. I didn't want to miss getting a clear shot of those grasshoppers!



For dinner, we opted to share some appetizers - the best being a Queso Fundido (cheese fondue) with mushrooms and kale. I never would've thought to put kale in this dish, but it worked wonderfully, pairing with the savory, umami tastes of the mushrooms really well. It was served with small corn tortillas, and we were told to just ask if we needed some more (which we would've, had we been able to eat it all).



We also went for one of the specials - an albacore ceviche, served in large cubes (very much like Hawaiian poke) and with crispy little corn tortillas. It was bright and fresh tasting, but didn't stand out as unique like everything I'd tasted thus far.



And finally, we had a chicken quesadilla, which was straightforward, though stuffed with a generous amount of meat and cheese compared to other's I've had. We both enjoyed the food, drink and atmosphere at Poquitos - commenting it felt a bit like being on vacation. Dan said we're like Bridge & Tunnel folks in Manhattan for the night. Capitol Hill has definitely transformed since we left it 5 years ago. As we were leaving, entire blocks were being torn down, condos were on the rise, but the failing economy created a lot of empty spaces. Now, all those condos that people reeled against for destroying quaint little neighborhood places now have more space for shops and restaurants.

I could see some folks thinking Poquitos, and perhaps others of its ilk that have popped up all over Capitol Hill, are too much like chain restaurants - too big, too fancy, too whatever. I got over any disdain for chain restaurants a long time ago, and appreciate the quality of service, the consistency of the food, and the effort put into creating a good dining experience. I don't know that I'd call Poquitos a chain restaurant exactly, but it did feel like we were in Vegas, not Seattle. Or maybe we just spend too much time close to home in S. Seattle.

Getting Back Into It

I've been wanting to get back into blogging a bit.  Perhaps not every single day again, but hopefully I can pull off sharing something I've made or eaten at least weekly.  There's so much to share, it's hard to know where to begin...

In the time I've been focusing on other things, Dan has become increasingly adventurous in making use of more and more of our cookbook collection when meal planning, and taking a bigger role in preparation.  Not only has he made a goal to make every recipe in the Best of the Best from Hawaiicookbook, but he's been grabbing others more frequently - and I often come home to my mis en place (or at least all the ingredients) out on the counter waiting for me.

I've also been known to 'seed' the meal planning by pulling out a cookbook I've been meaning to try.  I think tonight's recipe might've been from one of them:  Lourdes Castro's Simply Mexican- which I pulled off the shelf when looking for inspiration for a Mexican brunch a few weeks back.

This dish came together quickly and had good heat from the chipotle, balanced with the cream.  I think I'd enjoy this as a taco, though the crunch was nice.  Rumor has it we'll be making another recipe from the cookbook soon - a tuna with a corn salsa, which should make use of the corn we've been growing behind the garage.

Smothered Shrimp Tostadas

2 large or 3 medium tomatoes (about 1 lb)
2 cloves garlic, unpeele
1 canned chipotle chile
1 tspn red wine vinegar
1/2 tspn salt
1 lb shrimp (butterflied, if large)
1 Tbspn olive oil
12 flat tostada shells
1 head lettuce, finely shredded
1 cup Mexican crema (or in our case, cream cheese)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Roast the tomatoes and garlic (both whole) in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for a15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft.  Turn the tomatoes every 4 minutes to get an even charring.  (We cut ours in half to speed things up, cuz the dog was getting impatient for his dinner.)  Don't worry if they get black - that's what you want.  Remove the tomatoes from the heat and put in your blender.  Pull out the garlic and squeeze the softened garlic out of their peels into the blender.  Add the chipotle, vinegar, and salt and blend until smooth.  (Use caution if things are still hot, as it can splatter.)

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.  Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp and saute "until they are golden brown" (which seemed like overdone to me, so I just cooked until they were close to cooked through.)  Add the chipotle sauce to the pan with the shrimp and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.  This is a good time to do a little taste test of the sauce, and add salt if needed.

(If using cream cheese instead of crema, because you didn't notice those ingredients over on the other part of the page of the cookbook, put it in a saucepan over low-medium heat and stir until it's the consistency of sour cream.  Or, just use sour cream.)

Place tostadas on a plate and top each with a handful of lettuce.  Add some shrimp, along with chipotle sauce (add a little extra, for good measure).  Drizzle with crema and garnish with fresh cilantro.

El Sombrero - Still Our Go-To Spot

I haven't written about El Sombrero in a long while - not because of some change of allegience, but perhaps because it's become such a staple for us. We go at least once a month, and sometimes once (or twice) a week - more than any other restaurant. The staff have come to know us, and it's a comfortable place with delicious food and great cocktails. My Foodspotting addiction (which our server, Saul, mentioned during our meal tonight) can attest to our frequent visits, and inspires me to try to find something new to eat or drink every time we go.



This time, I went for the Victoria beer they're now carrying, and a Torta (a Mexican sandwich) filled with "al pastor" - aka barbecued pork. Just like that time at Reuben's in Hilo, I failed to anticipate that the sandwich would come with fries - which I (mostly) had to pass on after enjoying a few too many chips before our meal. I've never been disappointed by anything I've tried - from the borrego to the sopitas (which Dan enjoyed tonight) - and they keep surprising us with new items, like the amazing new hibiscus margaritas.

Tantalizing Tripe Tacos @ El Paisano

After our drink at Company, we all headed over to Rosticeria y Cocina El Paisano for a bite to eat before hitting the rink.



I decided to get a trio of offal tacos: tripas, lengua, and cabeza (stomach, tongue and brain). Unfortunately, they were out of cabeza, so I went for the birria (pronouncing it horribly). I asked what it was, and not knowing the word, our incredibly friendly hostess (who later serenaded us at our table with her beautiful voice) made the sound of the animal - goat or sheep, it would seem - so I'd know what I was getting into.



Paul and I ended up with our tacos intermingled, and an extra each, so there was plenty to go around and lots of flavors to explore. All my tacos were full of flavor and really delicious. But I found the tripe tacos were the most amazing - melt in your mouth good, in fact - and something I'll be seeking out in the future.



After we had our fill, we all headed over to the Southgate Roller Rink - the same roller skating rink Dan's Mom went to as a girl. It's been revitalized, reopened, and was positively hopping tonight. The crowd is a mix of young and old, seemingly from all walks of life - much like White Center itself. We had a great time going in circles, getting used to having wheels on our feet for the first time in ages. Hopefully, we'll get another chance to relive those middle school memories (and work out apparently neglected muscles in our inner thighs and lower backs) again soon.