As promised I have posted Nick’s recipes for his tacos recently reviewed on this site.  I posted them late, but they are here nonetheless :

Pork Taco Recipe

Chicken Taco Recipe

Pico de Gallo, Guacamole and Chipotle Mayo Recipes

1. 2 vine tomatoes, diced
2. 1 / 2 red onion, diced small
3. handful chopped cilantro
4. 2 tsp salt
5. few dashes of green tabasco
6. spritz lime on top

Guacamole :

NOTE : This is for tacos only.  For chips, combine with pico and a clove of minced garlic.

Mash the following :

1. 3 avocados
2. 2 tsp salt

Finally add a spritz of lime

Chipotle Mayo :

1. 1 / 4 cup mayo
2. 1 tbsp chipotle sauce or chipotle tabasco

To combine all these things into a taco, Nick recommends the following order (starting from a bare tortilla)

1. Warm tortilla
2. Spread Chipotle Mayo
3. Add meat
4. Add Guacamole
5. Add Pico de Gallo

Mix the following in the pan :

1. 12 fl oz orange juice
2. splash cider vinegar
3. 1 clove garlic, minced
4. 1 / 4 brown / yellow onion, chopped

Let this simmer for 1 – minutes, then add :

1. 4 chicken thighs
2. seasoning salt or cajun seasoning
3. 2 – 3 tbsp chipotle sauce
4. 1 – 2 tbsp green tabasco
5. 2 tsp salt
6. 2  tsp cinnamon
7. 4 – 6 jalapeno slices
8. couple splashes of orange juice

Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Remove thighs and cut meat off the bones and pull with a fork to shred.  Return to liquid and simmer for at least 10 – 15 minutes.

EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Pork Tacos

Add the following in the pan :

1. 1 can mango nectar
2. splash of vinegar
3. 1 clove of garlic, minced
4. 1/4 onion, chopped
5. Add 1/2 pound or so of pork shoulder
6. 2 – 3 tsp chili powder
7. 2 – 3 tsp red pepper flakes
8. 1 tbsp brown mustard
9. 1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or 3 – 4 tbsp chipotle sauce)
10. 2 – 3 tsp hot sauce of choice
11. 2 – 4 jalapeno slices with splash of juice

Simmer 20 – 25 minutes.  Remove from heat and pull meat from bone (if applicable).  Return to sauce.  Simmer 10 – 15 minutes or more.

EAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Chef : Nick James

Address : He lives in the Avenues of SLC, but there is no restaurant

Phone : Shall not be listed

4 stars out of 5

A week or so ago I received an email from my good friend Nick that he wanted to make tacos for a group of friends so that they could be reviewed by a proper taco taco journalist such as myself :

I was stewing up some chicken thigh for tacos this morning, and it reminded me that I want to make you tacos sometime.

Included in the email was the incredible photo above that Nick had taken of his tacos.  Could I say no?  Of course I couldn’t.  We planned it out and on a magical Taco Tuesday Nick went to work and improvised on his latest taco recipes to create us some incredible chicken and pork tacos.

All week long I was anxious to try Nick’s tacos.  Nick is an extremely creative person and having mentioned to me that he had been continually changing and improving on his improvised taco recipes I was very curious to see what he would share with us.  Nick is a great artist (you can see his work at http://nickjam.es/) but until that night I had not had the opportunity to taste any of his cooking.

Nick has told me that his enjoyment and approach in cooking is very much like that in his artwork.  Once he is comfortable with a medium whether it be pencils or chipotle sauce he feel comfortable to experiment and lose himself in his creation and in cooking for example he feels no need to follow a recipe or make precise measurements.

I stalked around the kitchen behind Nick as he worked and explained to taco enthusiasts Dave, Ryan and myself about what he was doing and how much longer we would have to wait.  We circled him like hungry sharks until he told us to grab our plates and started throwing freshly warmed tortillas onto them.

Now that we were finally ready, I filmed Nick presenting them to us :

These tacos were amazing.  All 3 of our judges were impressed.  Here are their responses  :

My personal favorite was the pork taco recipe.  The flavor was complex and constantly changing from initial bite to its after taste.  The orange juice certainly helped to bring out the tenderness and develop a unique flavor.  The chicken tacos were delicious as well.  When I say that the pork was my favorite, it was like choosing between two children.  The chicken had just the right amount of picante-ness so that it was spicy but at the same time it was sweet like candy.

The morale of this story is that when Nick asks you if you’d like to try his tacos, you say YESSSSS!  If you don’t have this luxury, stay tunes because I will post the recipes later this week.

4 stars out of 5.

It’s been a long time has it not?  Several of you have asked me why it’s taken so long to have some new reviews here on slctacos.com.  Well I been way busy, mang!  How busy?  Well, let’s review…

1. Finished up the video game Toy Story 3 for work.  If you have kids (or like having fun), go check it out.  It’s a great game
2. Besides practically living at work finishing the game I was also accepted to graduate school.  I’ll be studying Computational Linguistics at the University of Washington
3. I also moved to be much closer to the taco epicenter of Salt Lake City.  I’m now blocks away from the heart of the action between 800 and 900 South
4. I’ve been busy hanging with sharks

So now that life is back to normal, I have several taco stand reviews already written and some great taco recipes to share with all of you.  I can’t wait to get back to work as a taco journalist.

In the meantime, sometimes people ask me “Where can I find the Chow Truck to try their original tacos?”

Well, it just so happens that I know exactly where the Chow Truck will be parked on Friday night July 16th.

It will be parked directly outside the great STOLEN & ESCAPED gallery (177 E 300 S, below Frosty Darling) which will be showing 4 of my paintings including a brand new one which I have yet to post on the Electric Internet.  So consider this a call to tacos.  A call to art.  Come on down and chow down with us.

The gallery will be open from 6pm to 9pm and the Chow Truck is planning to be there from 7pm to 9pm.

Come on my and say hello to check out some of my paintings like these :

manta ray, laser eyes : killing a building

the squid’s technique was stealth

ZEBRA BITE ATTACK!!!

So, being a “basement” chef myself, i pulled up my sleeves and decided i wanted to cook. I love cooking. There’s nothing better than creating something amazing out of otherwise normal things. So with that in mind, over the weekend i scrapped up some change from the empty growler jug, and went out and bought some of Rico’s homemade tortillas. The tiny ones that are made fresh that you can pick up at the local markets. I picked some onions from the garden. I dug some old hamburger meat from the bottom of the freezer, and i started to assemble bowls of condiments and toppings. I fried up the tortillas quickly on each side in a skillet and spooned on some crumbly burger meat. I also threw some frozen corn into a cast iron skillet and made a bit of a roasted corn salsa type creation. I topped it all off simply with the green onions and some cheese. I wasn’t going for authentic, or trying to replicate what i might find at a taco stand, but just going over my food influences growing up, and how my mother made her version of tacos. I found a quiet place by myself and ate a few. It felt wrong to be doing this alone. I had cooked up all the tortillas and there was plenty of stuffing for more, so i called my mother up to share them with me. We both felt better after. It clicked in me that life can me simple. Life can be a taco. Love can be like a taco. Uncomplicated, enjoyable in it’s simplicity, and can give you the feeling of a warm hug that lingers around long after.

While I still am lowered to that of a 2nd class citizen who has had to move back home and swallow his pride, i still get a real sense of peace when eating a good taco. I hope some luck and opportunities come my way soon, so that i can get back out on the streets and enjoy the tacos and the love all of these hard working people provide. Innovation is happening in the foodie community. People are coming up with new ideas, and new presentations and different twists on street food in our community. It makes me proud to see such changes and to see how that people are starting to come around, and be less afraid, less intimidated by these little palaces of what i like to call “the other soul food”. So to all those out there working hard and cooking up all of this love, I salute you. Our friends from the south have brought us so much and are very much a part of what America is about, and i for one welcome our taco overlords.

So if you can’t go out and buy a taco from one of the dozens if not hundreds of mexican and south american influenced restaurants, markets, and food carts, scrape up some change and make some for you and your friends. It’ll make you and everyone else feel better. If at least, for a little while.

Regards,

noyen / nairb

Chow Truck

Location : Parked in various places around Salt Lake City.  Find where it is today at http://www.chowtruck.com/

Review : 4.5 stars

As Noyen previously mentioned, there’s a brand new mobile eatery in Salt Lake City.  You may remember in 2009 that I wrote about a truck in California serving up asian fusion tacos and that I wished Salt Lake had something similar.  This wish has come true in the form of the Chow Truck.  I recently loaded up the tacocar with my fellow taco enthusiasts to see if the truck could live up to my dream.  How did it live up to my dream?  Keep reading and this taco adventure will unroll like a tortilla before your eyes.

The air was electric with anticipation for the Chow Truck as we left the office to load up on tacos.  We had already heard from others who had tasted from the truck that the tacos (and other delights) on the menu were a very different and delicious experience not to be missed.  And of course I was more than giddy about the idea of a truck which moves all over the city day to day whose location you must find from its website or from Twitter.  This idea of taco trucks and flash mobs was something I had wanted to see for a long time.

I had no idea that the flavors would be such an interesting mix so I was impatient to get these tacos into my mouth-hole. Luckily, the tacos arrived quickly into my mouth-hole and I have to say that I recommend these tacos to all taco enthusiasts.  These were absolutely delicious.  The chicken was great.  Delicious fresh veggies mixed in with lemongrass chicken.  The pineapple-ginger pork was fantastic.  The ginger gave this a great aftertaste.
Finally, I chomped down on the spicy beef.  Absolutely amazing.  Several of us went back for seconds just to try this delicious spicy taco a second round.  I haven’t been to the truck in a few weeks, but this was by far the crowd pleaser in our group so check it out.

I’ve been back again to the Chow Truck and it’s been consistently good.  As well as handing out goodness in the beloved form of a taco, they also appeal to others in the form of a tiny hamburger or “slider” who love a good burger like I do.  This was great just like the tacos are.

So go try out the Chow Truck and let me know how you like it.  I read that yesterday the truck was making Pork Mole Quesadillas. I missed it but hopefully they’ll have them later this week if I can break away from the office.

In closing, here’s a gallery of all of the taco enthusiasts on this trip and how many tacos they ate :

6-time world taco tasting champion Benson -- 3 tacos

Taco enthusiast Tyler -- 3 tacos

Taco enthusiast Bryce -- 3 tacos

Taco enthusiast Chris -- 3 tacos

s

The author of this article put away 3 tacos and he wants more. RIGHT NOW!

The "Chow Truck" everyone has been talking about.

So I am not here to review this mobile dining experience, but to tell you that, YES, it does exist. That, and you can find out more information about them at their website and follow them on their twitter page to find their location.

I plan on trying everything on the menu as soon as i am back in the area and hopefully get a chance to talk to the people behind this truck as well. It looks interesting to say the least! In the meantime go out and try them yourself and let US know what YOU think of them and their menu. We’ll post your reviews here. We would love to know your experiences and what you think this adds to the street taco scene in Salt Lake. It looks like they are trying to mimic what Kogi Tacos did in LA to light a fire and create a new and trendy, hipster driven clientele.

Meanwhile, taco enthusiast Kelly is reportedly on the case and will have a first impression review of the Chow Truck. We will have it posted here shortly. I am curious what our taco enthusiasts think and we’ll see how they hold up to our beloved traditional taco stands. I am wary of a hipster douche bag over hyping so i hope i am not let down by all the chatter generated around this truck so far. It has been reported that many monocle wearing men in turtlenecks, overpriced REI gear, as well as men in girls jeans and “ironic” mustaches with key chains hanging from their belts are showing up at the seemingly long list of “hip” places to park (Twilight Lounge, REI, Eggs in the City, etc), but we will let the food speak for itself and hopefully get an interview with the owners.

Until then, eat everything like it’s a taco.

Yours truly,

noyen

http://www.hernandoshideaway.com/

545 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON

1 out of 5 stars

Not that you guys in the Salt Lake area will care, but i wanted to share some of my experiences while traveling looking for work outside of Salt Lake City. We have a LOT to be proud of in Utah. Here’s my take on one of the restaurants i came across in Canada that is touted as “California Style” Mexican food. Can we all collectively roll our eyes? Good.

I’m up in Toronto at the moment with my girlfriend, and had a chance to check out what is considered Mexican food up here in the far north. I have to tell you, it was just sort of edible and if I had kids or was drunk out of mind i might rave about this place. However, it resembles NOTHING that we are lucky enough to eat down south. The dish i ordered was known as “The Mexican Flag”. It consisted of one cheese, one chicken, and one beef enchilada. None of the meat or cheese was impressive. Slathered in the three colors of the Mexican flag, this was served up in a sort of sports bar slash dumpy mexi-diner setting with exposed brick and gaudy colors and iguanas on the walls and furniture. I did not get to try the tacos,  but we’ll see if i get a chance to later on. I could go on about how bad this was, and i’d be more forgiving, but the food was not good and the server was sort of a dick. See, there really aren’t good Mexican food joints up in Toronto. The enchiladas were over-spiced and had something more like gravy than a dry spice  rub seasoning. I understand that Canadians love their poutine, but the same rules should not be applied to Mexican food when it comes to covering things in gravy. Hernando’s Hideaway should stay hidden if you’re looking for an authentic or even enjoyable experience. You may love the place if your favorite Italian is Chef Boyardee. The tortillas were grainy and spongy, and the beans resembled something an animal would deposit on a lawn. The rice was dry and seasoned far too much. I ended up picking at this thing and suffering pretty awful heartburn after wards. The staff seemed like they had better things to do, and better tables to wait on. Not impressed with the snotty atmosphere and expensive prices for mediocre food. You will not be missed.

The best part of the meal was the Margaritas. It made me forget about where i was and added a beer-goggles effect to what i was eating.

Don’t be fooled – this is not authentic, and is barely better than something you would get out of a can. I’d be more forgiving if this were a chain restaurant like Chili’s or Applebees, but it’s not. It is touted as “California style” Mexican food on their website. I don’t know what that means to people up here other than it’s far away and close to Mexico. It is a disservice to anyone in California as well, as i have had amazing Mexican food all up and down the entire state of California. I suggest the owners visit California or hell, even Mexico. They may learn a thing or two about creating simple, tasty, fresh Mexican dishes and take some hints on hospitality. Not that California is known for it, but it’s better than the holier than thou attitude experienced at this dive.

Next up, I’ll take you along for a trip to Kensington Market where a little gem exists named El Trompo (mentioned a few times in other posts). Stay tuned, as there is a little bit of hope for Toronto and it’s attempts at branding food “Mexican”. The hunt continues…