Taqueria La Sierra lies hidden down a nondescript side street off what seemed to be the main drag in Antioch. Housed in what was probably an old burger joint, the first thing you notice is all the signs in the window. It can be overwhelming at first, and Cory and I both ended up ordering the same thing. Wanting the most variety for a meal, we both got three different tacos: al pastor, chicken and carne asada. Out of the ‘big three’ certainly at least one would be delicious.
San Diego style Mexican food has been steadily encroaching upon the Bay Area. Which is good news to all SD transplants. There are rumors of what may be an actual (or not) Roberto’s in San Jose. A trip down from San Francisco will soon enough solve that problem, but one thing is for sure: there is at least one ’berto’s close by. Adalberto’s in Fairfield.
Rolled tacos and tortas are the two great SD style Mex foods that San Francisco taquerias cannot seem to get right. The burritos are very different too, but time has blended those lines with SD establishments occasionally offering rice as an option. As for the relatively recent trend of adding French fries to burritos, well, lets just say I don’t crave those burritos.
It was the rolled tacos that lured the Burritowing team to Adalberto’s in Fairfield. That and the opportunity to kick around the California Delta for the day. A previous trip to Suisun City proved to be a delicious excursion, perhaps the discovery of an honest-to-goodness ‘berto’s would surface as a much needed flavor the Bay Area has sorely been missing.
Choices. Red or green salsa? Luckily, I didn’t have to decide on this particular issue. Both were laid out before me in large tubs resting in ice. Red or green? Naturally, I took one of each. But not all decisions are so safe.
Which is precisely why a trip to South San Francisco took me to La Morena. Along Grand Avenue and its side streets there are numerous selections when it comes to choosing a taqueria. La Morena is the only one I’ve ever been to. I was introduced to the al pastor at La Morena some years back by Toby – with considerable enthusiasm, I might add. Since then, I haven’t even bothered to try anything else. I know the al pastor is going to be great. And it always is.
But I can live vicariously through others. As I was shown the way of La Morena, I passed the knowledge on to Forest. As we drove through South City, every taqueria he saw he would ask if it was it.
“No,†I would reply. It wasn’t, and no other place would do.
Continue reading Choosing La Morena
The Delta does strange things to men. Time may not behave quite like you once thought it did. The flow of the water through every pore of town washes away any preconceived notions. Up might be down. Savory might be sweet. Open might be closed, or even stranger closed might be open.
Continue reading La Cabaña – Suisun City – The Delta
I’ve been thinking about a Nieto’s carne asada burrito for months. Which is odd considering that I’ve thinking for months about something I’ve never had. Nieto’s has won me over with rolled tacos, and their bean and cheese burrito, so I had high expectations about the gold standard for SoCal Mex food – the carne asada burrito.
Continue reading Nieto’s — Carne Asada