Category Archives: Mission District

Civic Center/Tenderloin, Mission District, SOMA

Taqueria Cazadores

1 Comment

I like ham. I like cheese. I like rolled tacos. How could I not like ham and cheese taquitos?

cazadores

One day, while cruising around with Greg looking for something to do, we walked by that taco cart on Mission at S. Van Ness. They were closing up for the day, but while there we checked out the menu. Although I have spent a good amount of time reading Mexican food menus, it’s not uncommon for me to still come across something new. That’s part of the beauty of Mexican food. It is versatile; all the ingredients are there, they just need to be put together. Usually however, the names, while vaguely descriptive, still need some amount of deciphering. Not so in this case. Under the common heading of Taquitos was a description I had never come across before.

“3 Crispy Ham and Cheese Tacos, Lettuce, Sweet Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream”

What the hell was this?

Continue reading Taqueria Cazadores →

Mission District

Budgetwings: Taqueria Los Coyotes

1 Comment

Los Coyotes Taqueria

My refrigerator door is a repository of lists, to-do’s and reminders. Understandably, this landscape that is held together by magnets and yellow stickies simply blends into the background. One important piece of paper has held my attention for its entire run whilst hanging on my fridge door: the 2 for 1 burrito coupon at Los Coyotes.

The size of San Francisco super burritos is the secret to their success. Too big for one meal (usually), eaters are left with an uneaten burrito nub to deal with the next day. After consuming said nub, the eater immediately wants more, and the delicious cycle begins anew. With the coupon providing an extra burrito safely stashed in my fridge, I knew I would be ready for the inevitable craving.

Prior experience has taught me Los Coyotes includes lettuce on their super burritos – an ingredient that does not stand up too well for reheating. With logistics in mind, I gazed over the steam table, eventually ordering a carnitas burrito with lettuce, and a fridge-bound al pastor without.

While waiting for construction, a glare caught my eye. Much to my surprise, I discovered it was the salsa table. Apparently something was wrong with the salsa; there were bright yellow and pink colors reflecting off of it. But no, wait. There was the familiar green salsa. And there was the dense red soup of flavors so commonly associated with salsa. What the hell was this pink and yellow stuff then?

Continue reading Budgetwings: Taqueria Los Coyotes →

Civic Center/Tenderloin, Mission District, Outer Mission, SOMA

The annual changing of the taqueria calendar

Leave a comment

taqcal.jpg

Rolled-up tubes of time are scattered about San Francisco’s burrito shops every year starting in December. They go fast, and this past year was no exception. My first trip to the hot spots resulted in empty hands and disappointment until I popped my head into Can-Cun on Market Street. Only two remained, and I quickly grabbed one only to find out upon unfurling that the calendar would have been more appropriate on a votive candle. Nothing could be more disappointing than expecting to find a beautiful girl and instead unwrapping a nun. Luckily, a follow-up trip to the popular Mission Street location revealed the beauty you see above. That was a close one, Can-Cun, however consider redemption found.

I find it hard to complain about something received for free, but consider some of the other calendars out there. Aztec warriors in full headdress protecting their pyramids have always been a favorite motif. I’ve even heard of one such example complete with a flying UFO in the background. Way cooler than a picture of some saint and child. Even the kitty cat calendar Greg found would have been better.

Finding redemption in the taqueria isn’t really anything new to me. The beauty in Mexican food not only lies within the taste, but also in the celebration of life. The festive colors and spicy flavors are a reflection of the spirit. There’s always something new to try, and if a bad taste comes along, consider it a fluke and get on back out there. Much like this past year. And in at least one case, I expect to see a better year. Just ask the girl in the calendar, I’m sure she will agree.

Mission District, SOMA

El Tonayense

Leave a comment

tonayense.jpg

I’ve been puzzled by why these El Tonayense trucks are so popular. They aren’t very good, but yet they are everywhere, and people claim to like them. It’s not that they are bad so much as they are just extremely boring. From what I can tell, there ain’t no love in them tacos and burritos. Yet, again and again, I hear about how great they are.

The only reason I can think of is that San Francisco is full of transplants, and these transplants must consider taco trucks a novelty. They order, they eat, and then the pretend to love whatever they had. I’m guessing these fakers are doing it so they can boast some sort of street food street cred, although these creations might have a tough time stacking up against Chipotle.
Continue reading El Tonayense →

Mission District

Taquitos rolling into El Farolito

Leave a comment

Birthday party for Cory. Which could only mean one thing. Drinks at the Attic. Well… two things, actually: The Attic and El Farolito.

The hunt for food started after a bloody mary lunch. A slice of pizza sounded like the perfect thing to hold the hunger until burrito time. I was in the mood for something new and had never gotten around to trying Katz pizza. Closed. Oh well. Even though the best pizza in town – Arinell – was right around the corner me and the man of the hour walked on by. Arinell’s would have been great, but we’ve had it a million times, so we decided to drop in on Julie.
Continue reading Taquitos rolling into El Farolito →

Mission District

Taqueria Can-Cun

1 Comment

11/8/07

Where have all the good times gone?

taqueria can can

It’s no secret that Can-Cun has fallen silent in recent times with sometimes good/sometimes not burritos. This day even the jukebox was quiet.

I’ve had my share of delicious burritos from here, and will continue to do so. However, now and for all time my expectations are lowered. Bland, dry, carnitas stacked together with rice and beans with as much care as any McDonalds cheeseburger. It’s not a corporate megalith yet, but perhaps the day is not too far in the future where super market shelves are stocked with “Authentic Mission-Style Burritos.” But then again, when that happens, Chipotle will win that battle, and then we all lose for sure.

So, for now, Can-Cun remains a mainstay, but the explorations will continue…