The “street food” scene is all the rage in Bay Area dining right now, but before hipsters were dishing out top dollar for crème brûlée from a street cart or dim sum from a vintage air stream trailer, and years prior to the first of what will become many clandestine food truck gatherings, or “food truck races” on the Food Travel, and eons before the much-publicized, bi-coastal “Chairman Bao Wars”…there were taco trucks. Long before mobile vendors were offering trendy foodstuffs, like beef cheek brioche or escargot on a stick, taco trucks were cooking simple, regional Mexican fare from scratch, setting up shop in empty parking lots and typically feeding the common workingman.
Sonoma is blessed with a taco truck culture that must easily rival any large city’s. On any given evening, there are between four and six gleaming stainless trucks scattered along Sonoma Highway in Sonoma and the Springs. In the name of investigative journalism, the food-obsessed team here at the Sun decided it imperative to scope out each vendor and bring our readers the skinny on Sonoma’s taco truck scene. During a dizzying evening we worked our way through the menu of tacos from three vendors, more than forty-eight tacos and probably as many icy cold Tecate with lime. It was a lovely evening for our outdoor, moveable feast.
Most trucks set up by 7 p.m. under a string of twinkling lights, creating an atmosphere that’s convivial and cozy, each with at least one communal picnic table that quickly crowded with happy diners. The patrons included Latino men heading home from a long-day’s work in the vineyards, moms grabbing something to-go for a quick and tasty supper, restaurant industry folks and adventurous tourists eager to experience a unique Wine Country meal. If you haven’t dined on taco truck fare before, I highly recommend it, there’s a good chance that you’ll have a memorable meal that’s muy delicioso and pay un poquito.
Read on for our findings, but first a few tips for having the best possible taco truck experience, no matter where you are.
• Bring cash.
• Never judge a truck by it’s exterior, sometimes the greasiest looking venue is the tastiest.
• The longer the line, typically the muy bueno the food.
• When in doubt, order carnitas.
• When ordering tacos, “everything” typically means chopped, fresh cilantro and white onion, sometimes a lime and chile sauce. Always get everything.
• Don’t be afraid to order something other than tacos. Many trucks do wonders with burritos, plates of roasted meats and tortas, or Mexican sandwiches.
• The best time to dine at a taco truck is on a Sunday when vendors offer traditional weekend-only fare such as tripe stew – a favorite hangover cure – and posole.
El Gran Taco
The first truck we visited – it just so happened to set up shop earliest – the El Gran Taco truck sits on the North side of the Boyes Food Center. We found the largest selection of meat here, ranging from goat, head and pork sausage. A few were slightly perplexing even to our group of foodies, like the “sheared beef.” Still not sure what that is, but El Gran Taco won the highest praises from our group for it’s potent, homemade chile sauces and the generous and thoughtful selection of gratis garnishes. A smoky, red sauce contained dried bits of chile and was the ideal accompaniment to this spot’s more assertive, meaty flavors. It was particularly satisfying with the lengua (tongue) taco, which was reminiscent of a long-cooked, slightly gamey pot roast. Juicy limes were dolled out happily and each plate arrived with fresh chunks of radish and jalapeno.
La Bamba
Parked in the Larbre Automotive parking lot directly across from the Fairmont, La Bamba ranked amongst our group’s favorite in many categories. The truck itself is charming, with its fun, colorful logo that includes the Virgin Mary and golden bulb lights, the truck itself blocking the traffic whizzing by. Quality trumps quantity here, the menu is smallish, but the food skillfully prepared. The carnitas, or roasted pork, was easily the favorite of the entire evening, tender and succulent, slightly crispy around the edges. Braised tongue, which we took great pleasure in considering at each truck, was a happy combination of juicy and mucho meaty here. Tortillas were lavishly mounded with whatever meat was ordered, unique from the other trucks where it came on the side; a ladling of tart, homemade salsa verde was spooned on top of each.
Giovanni & Los Magos
Just north of the Big Three Diner, the Giovanni & Los Magos truck parks most nights in the parking lot of the smog garage. The al pastor, or “shepherd style” pork, wears a long-marinade of dried chiles and is slowly cooked with pineapple, tenderizing the meat into a state of porky goodness. The pork itself swims in the saucy concoction it’s cooked in which is then heaped lavishly on fresh corn tortillas. Tacos topped with carne asada, or a thin, grilled beef, were among the tastiest of the night as well. Giovanni & Los Magos serves each plate with a whole roasted jalapeno pepper, a thoughtful garnish that any spice fanatic would undoubtedly appreciate.
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