Altered Tastes: Tacos

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Previously on Altered Tastes, I discussed the joy of an amazing fresh tortilla.  the tortilla is ultimately a vessel for me.  a vessel to ferry meats, fish, shellfish and octopus, spicy salsa, salty cheese, fresh vegetables, broken glass, gravel, anthrax, etc.

My first day in Mexico had me stomping through the flooded streets of Cabo San Lucas.  They don't get a lot of rain in Cabo, so stomping through the flooded streets of Cabo means stomping through one part water, one part mud and one part raw sewage.   During our travels, we walked by many things, including a mattress floating down the street.  However, on a side street somewhere, I walked right by perfection itself.  The spinning pillar of roasted meat.  Tthe spinning pillar of meat is sacred.  Ancient and Carnal.   Since we were exploring town and the streets were running with dysentery we didn't stop.  But I knew I would be back.

Several days later I had some free time, while the rest of the crew was swimming with dolphins.  No one lets you eat dolphin.  Time to find my taco place.  Fortunately, Cabo is a small town.  After zigzagging through the streets, I finally found it:



Stepping inside, I found myself in front of a dude who was behind a festival of meats. The meats were on a heated griddle with a raised center.



The lower altitudes were where the meats rested and remained warm.  The dome was substantially hotter and when i selected my tacos (chorizo and carnitas), he would take some from each corner and put it on the dome to heat up.  Since I dont speak Spanish I would point at meats and he would scoop them into tortillas.  Just past the taco guy, I found a tiny fixin's bar with house-made salsas and miscellaneous vegetation.  Things got crazy confusing after that.  Pretty much like your first day of school at the cafeteria.

Where do I pay?  How do I get a drink?  Where do I sit?  None of this would make me anxious in a place where I speak the language. Fortunately, I made some new friends to sit with to make me feel comfortable:



Simply served, tiny, two-ply tacos.  amazing carnitas and possibly the best chorizo i ever had.

Is it sad when a plate of tacos is your BFF?

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