De Cero Taqueria
814 West Randolph Street
Chicago, Illinois  60607
http://decerotaqueria.com/

I was in Chicago on business and I wanted to try something new.  As much as I would like to say that the expense account is a blank check for prime steakhouses, I like to fly under the radar a bit and not seem too eccentric.

Eater 38 is usually a dependable list.  Sometimes I think that it should be called, If I were a hipster, where would I like to eat.   The big names are on the other lists and I always think of it as an insiders guide.  I was in a mood where I didn’t want a ton of food (patting myself on the back for that rhyme) and Indianapolis is without a fancy taco place, so I thought that I would give it a try.

What I Ate:  Duck Confit, Chipotle Chicken and Tilapia tacos; $3.95 each.  Chips and Pico; $2.95.

The duck confit was served with corn salsa and that is it.  The duck desperately needed salt and I thought that this was a great idea, but poorly executed.   The Chipotle Chicken was grilled chicken, lettuce, crema, cilantro and pinto beans with bacon.  I liked this on a lot better, but it had a strange smell to it.  It had a smoky smell to it, like you just light a firework.  The beans were a non-factor.   The tilapia was topped with a Mexican slaw.  I love a good fish taco (no jokes please), but this was not one of them.  The tilapia was tasted more like smelt fries and it didn’t taste freshly fried.

Chips and pico were the standard adaptation.   A little spicy than normal, but again, nothing special.

Would I Buy It Again?  No, definitely not.   What a wasted dinner in one of our best culinary cities in the US of A.  Maybe the bar was set too high.  After all, did I really expected tortillas, meat and beans to taste that differently than what I can get in Indy?  My bad.

I think that I am done with fancy tacos.  I have tried a few different takes on tacos and I am always happiest with the simple ones done well.  I’d rather replace duck confit with slightly chewy, cheap carne asada and call it a day.

Long story short, it might be best to leave tacos alone – they are perfect how they are.

-wibia

West Coast Tacos
All Over Indianapolis
http://thebestdamntacos.com/

Food trucks have become all the rage recently.  So much so that Food Network is starting a show next month hosted by Tyler Florence where they have different food truck teams compete against each other for a prize.

In Indianapolis, the newest “hip” food truck craze is West Coast Tacos and they provide small, Korean style tacos at various locations throughout the city.  West Coast Tacos locates themselves downtown for lunch and then in the Cardinal Fitness parking lot in Broad Ripple for the dinner and late night hours.  I was in Broad Ripple this past Saturday, so I decided to give them a shot after reading all the praise for them.  FYI, here are some reviews from Metromix, Indianapolis Amy, Nuvo and the Indianapolis Star.

What I Got:  Three tacos (one steak, two chicken) for $5.  They also offer the tacos individually for $2.

These tacos are made with soft tortilla shells that are roughly the size of your hand and each taco includes two shells.  They are then filled with a freshly marinated and grilled meat (steak or chicken) and then topped with a homemade salsa.

When I received my tacos, I was shocked by how small they were.  I knew they would not be huge based on everything that I read, but I was still surprised.  They were so small that they took a maximum of four bites to finish.

Still, despite the size, they were tasty.  The meat was flavorful and tender and while the overall size of the tacos may be small, the amount of toppings that they jam into them do not reflect that lack of size (even though you can still get them down in four bites), so that was nice.  The salsa was homemade, VERY FRESH and had quite a spicy kick to it.  Since I love hot foods, I loved this salsa.  It had hints of cilantro, onions and garlic in it, so if you plan on going out after eating these tacos, you might want to have a breath mint nearby.

Would I Buy It Again? Well, this is a tough call.  If I was looking for a drunk food at the end of the night or a light snack to have in between bars if I was hungry, then I would definitely buy this again.  If I was looking to have this as my full meal for an evening, then I would not buy them again because it would take at least six of these to fill me up (at at least $10) and I honestly believe I could eat ten of these and not even feel full.  That’s how disappointing the size was.

Even with that lukewarm review on the size, I would still recommend that everyone try these at least once.  I don’t think that anyone will be disappointed by the taste, just maybe the size.

You can also find info on West Coast Tacos’ location, hours, etc. on both Facebook and Twitter.

-IndianapolisEater

Tamale Place
5242 Rockville Road
Indianapoils, IN 46224
http://www.thetamaleplace.com

If you are a WIBIA regular, you know that taquerias are my “thing.”  I have received mutiple e-mails about the Tamale Place telling me that I have to go.  Smokin’ DB was one of those e-mails so we decided to grab lunch and talk shop.  The Tamale Place opened in 2003 and with plenty of competition in the area, so you know they have to be doing something right.  In fact, probably a lot of things right.

Most tamales are between $2.75 -$3.50 range.  There were nine available tamales on the chalkboard.  Three of them were vegetarian options:  cheese, tofu, veggies.  Meat offerings were pretty standard, beef, chicken, pork and a few wild cards.

I asked the lady behind the counter, “How much would a normal person eat?”  She said, ”two Tamales if you are pretty hungry and haven’t had breakfast.”  I was starving and ordered three tamales.

What I Ate:

Beef and pobalano chili with cheese, Chicken with in a banana leaf (Oaxaca style) and pork in roasted red sauce.

Yes, that is a full size plate.  The tamales were above average in size, no doubt about that.  I first tried the beef/poblano and cheese tamales.  I liked it because the masa was crazy fresh…made with a lot of love and attention to detail.  The flavors didn’t slap me across the face and in fact, they were very subtle.  Nice balance between masa and filling.

Next up was the Oaxaca Chicken.  Oaxaca is a region in Mexico, so this is really more about how they prepared this.  If it is still not making sense, think along the same lines of regional BBQ.  It is a lot different in South Carolina than it is in Memphis.  Moving on…

When I think about an Oaxaca preparation of tamales, I think banana leaf (check) and a black mole sauce.  Unfortunately, the mole sauce was non-existent, though there was some seasoning to enhance the flavor.  I found it to be a little dry and it was my least favorite of the three.

Finally, a top shelf Tamale!  The pork in roasted red sauce was absolutely delicious.  A healthy dose of moist roasted pork and the masa soaked up the majority of the red sauce.  As good as it gets in this city.  My favorite of the day.

I am not going to jump on my soapbox about the argument that you can’t base a restaurant off one visit.  I say that you can and in fact, most people do.  So instead of coming back to places, I usually just order more food.  My appetite is rarely challenged.

I was eyeing Smokin DB’s tacos the whole meal, so I had to try one myself.  I got a Chorizo Taco ($2.00) and the taco was outstanding.  I found the chorizo to be a little greasy, but perfectly cooked.  There as a little dab of sour cream and it brought a nice richness to the taco.  My favorite part of the taco was the tortillas. A corn tortilla that was thicker than most, but I found it to be pillowy, not sure if that is a word.  Give me credit for trying.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, but I would order all new items.  The Tamale Place has a true command over masa and tortillas.  It is really what they do best.  They didn’t have a lot of spicy menu items as they are more about subtle, pure flavors.  Next time, I am going to order nachos and a few tacos.  All in all, it was a great meal, a good value and probably some of the best and most authentic tamales in the city.  Although, I would’ve liked to see more options for sauces that you can add on to the tamales.

Btw, there are only six seats at a counter.  This is primarily a take-out place, but I question how well the tacos and nachos would travel.

-wibia

El Pastorcito
7876 Michigan Road (Right across from El Taco Torro)
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Website

There is a ton of competition in this area for taco joints.   Head down to 71st and Michigan Road and there is a Pancho’s.  El Pastorcito is one of those places I knew existed, yet never heard anything about and after about 8 months of knowing that it is there, I made the decision to stop by.   You can get take out here or you can eat in with table service.   The staff is friendly and during my visit, there was a young kid running around that I would assume is the owner’s grandson.  Even though it is a little unorganized and has loud music, we found it to be pretty welcoming.

Menu is mostly a taqueria (tortas, burritos, etc.), but there are house specialties as well.  They had about six seafood items on the list and 8-10 options that had enchiladas, menudo, etc.  Chips and salsa will cost you about $2.00.   I say skip the chips (straight out of a bag for $1.25) and get the three sauces and get ready for your tacos.

I enjoyed the sauces, but my wife strongly disliked the red.  I thought the pico was pretty fresh for this time of year and had the reverse opinion as she did.  I liked the red and didn’t like the green sauce.

I was in a taco eating mood (as I am almost everyday) and they had some pretty off beat stuff as well as the standards, so I thought that I would give a few a try.  They were $1.65 each.  Going rate in Indy is about $1.50, so this is a few cents more.

My first bite was of the pastor.  Really good, the meat was cooked to perfection.  The only part of it that I didn’t like is that the pineapple was left in the taco.  It is layered with pineapple and onion, but you usually just get the meat with a touch of sweetness to it.  Very good though, but I am being pretty picky.

Second, I went for the goat. Wow, this was a show stopper.  Really deep flavors, and again….cooked perfectly.  If you like lamb, then you will love this.  Honestly, it tasted just like lamb to me.   The red sauce was a perfect match and I could have eaten a ton of these.   Probably one of the better tacos that I have ever had.  A+++

Third, I dug into the carnitas.  Again, the preparation was dead on, IMO.  I like it when it is a little crispy on the outside of the meat because it holds in a lot of flavor.  Very lean pieces, very tasty and some of the best carnitas in town.

So I saw brain on the menu and thought, I have never had a brain taco, so I need to check it off my list.   The taco arrived and it smelled horrible.  Wow, a really strong stench.  I took a bite and I just couldn’t eat it.  I hate really soft meat, and brain is one of them.  I am sure that it is a good version of brain, but after one bite, I was done.

My wife had a chicken burrito.  It was good, but I didn’t love the burrito as I thought that the beans and glop took away from the meat.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, oh yes. I was pleasantly surprised here.  All three meats were prepared with such care and accuracy and you just can’t help but like it.  If someone told me that they think El Pastorcito has some of the best tacos in town, I really couldn’t argue with them.    This is a really nice find on the northwest side.

-WIBIA

El Taco Torro
79^th and Michigan
Indianapolis, IN

The WIBIA inbox is a pretty funny place (btw, thanks for all the e-mails).  One e-mail trend that is consistent is that people seem to really dig the taco joints.  The good news is…I do too.

I have passed this place up a few times and always wondered about it until I ran into this now defunct Indianapolis blog that had a review.   It looked good, so I gave it a try.

More of a seated restaurant with the server and chips/salsa setup.  Menu has tacos, burritos, tortas and a few other items as well but is mostly a standard taqueria.  El Taco Torro has a little more selection of meats than normal, tongue or intestine, etc.

What I Got: Taco Carnitas, Taco Al Pastor $1.50 each.  Carne Asada Burrito $4.99.

The tacos were stuffed full and I could barely fold them.  The Carnitas was a big miss.  There were a number of really fatty pieces that were inedible.  They were about the size of a piece of Trident and never should’ve made it to the plate.

Taco Al Pastor was a let down as well.   Instead a flavorful marinade carrying the taste, it reminded me of a seasoning packet that you would mix with water.  Plus there was no sign of a gyro spit (usually you can see all the meat staked and then sliced like a gyro)…bad sign there.   What was I thinking?  Both tacos were a little heavy handed on the sour cream, but since it was not a normal taqueria setup where you only got cilantro and onions, it was a nice bonus, especially at the price point.

Carne Asada Burrito

The carne asada burrito was pretty good actually.  The best quality of meat out of the three items I tried.  It was a good size and packed with beans, rice and a little too much sour cream. Really nice, no complaints here.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes/No.  No because the tacos were huge, but not very good.  The chef was heavy handed on sour cream and the red salsa with the chips was not to my liking (my guess, chilie de arbol based.)  Yes, because service was friendly, had a solid burrito, wide range of meats on the menu and the green salsa was good.

Bottom line…I need a re-visit.  I think there could be a couple of winners here, but I am not 100% convinced to sign my name to giving it a YES without reservations.

-WIBIA

Taqueria Los Comales
3920 N. High School Road
Indianapolis, IN 46254
http://www.loscomales.com

Seventeen locations and this is the only one in Indianapolis.  The remainder of the Los Comales chain is in Chicago.   I was on the west side of Indy and if you have any sense about you, you are going for tacos!  There are about 5 great taquerias within the same amount of miles.

Los Comales is in an old Pizza Hut.  I walked in right at 11:00 sharp.  Good smells and really loud polka Mexican at 120 decibels.   Good start so far.  I was quickly greeted and the service was friendly.  Chips and salsa came, but the salsa is served warm.  I was taken off guard, but it was more of a ratatouille of chilies that salsa.  Either way, it was tasty, but pretty spicy and I have a good heat tolerance.

Along with the chips and salsa, they give you a bowl of Escabeche.  Nice touch really as you rarely see it served with chips and salsa around the area.  In fact, my last time I had it was in Mexico.  Those of you that are not familiar with it, Escabeche is a mix of pickled cauliflower, carrots, onion, garlic and a pickled jalapeño was in there.  If you are looking to make your own, this recipe looked pretty close to the real deal.

Tacos were $1.45 each.  I had 4.
Pastor – Pork & onions
Chorizo – Pork sausage
Suadero – Flank Steak
Cecina – Dried Beef

These are the small tacos that you commonly see at taco carts.  The Pastor was good, but I enjoyed it more at the Burrito Joint.  Chorizo was the best out of the 4, preparation was spot on (it should be soft), but a little greasy.   Suadero was flavorful, but pretty fatty.  Cecina was one thin strip of beef, I found it to be chewy and bland.

Would I Buy It Again:  No. It wasn’t bad and it was a fun experience, but IMO, there are better in the area and a few that I have yet to try.  Still, if you are looking for an authentic Taqueria experience, you can easily do worse that Los Comales.

-WIBIA

I found this post via IndyScan.com, but this is absolutely awesome and gave me a good chuckle.  I don’t know what compelled this site to make this post, but it is such an obvious topic, yet hardly anyone ever posts about it.

Regardless, I agree with most of the choices.  The only one that I really disagree with and can’t understand is noodles.  I can tell you that I’ve NEVER had any sort of craving for noodles late at night.  I’ve never had waffles as a late night snack either, but I can at least see why some people might crave them.  Noodles just totally confuse me though.

The Top Ten Most Delicious Foods to Eat When You’re Drunk

-IndianapolisEater

Black Jack Taco

You’ve probably seen the awful, yet oddly amusing commercials and maybe even read reviews from a couple other blogs, but Taco Bell has recently introduced another new menu item (as they seem to do about every few weeks) and this one is called the Black Jack taco and it’s currently available for 89¢.

They describe this as “A crunchy black taco shell filled with seasoned beef, zesty pepper jack sauce, shredded lettuce and a blend of three cheeses – cheddar, pepper jack and mozzarella.”  With that mix of new ingredients on top of their basic crunchy taco, you’d think that this would be pretty interesting and could have the chance to be pretty tasty.  Sadly, if that’s what you thought, you’d be wrong because this one was just boring.  I’ve shared my thoughts on the pepper jack sauce before, but other than that, this tasted like a regular taco to me.  The three different kinds of cheeses were indecipherable and the black taco shell was cosmetic in appearance only because it did nothing other than change the way the taco looked.

Would I Buy It Again?  No, I would not.  I’ll just stick with my regular crunchy taco ordered Fresco style.  The prices are the same for both the Black Jack and the regular crunchy taco, but nothing about this one excites me or my taste buds.  There’s no reason for me to leave an old standby.

But, if you’d like to try one despite my review (and for free), you should know that Taco Bell is offering a free Black Jack taco to anyone that visits one of their locations on this upcoming Halloween evening starting at 6:00 p.m. and running until midnight.  So, if you are a fan of free food like I am or just want to get your own opinion on this taco, give it a shot!

-IndianapolisEater