Anthony’s Tacos

I’ve come to embrace the Anthony Bourdain school of restaurant selection. Several times in his show “No Reservations” he has pointed out that the best way to find good local food is to watch where the locals are eating. No matter how “divey” the place looks, if it’s full of people, you are bound to have a good (and safe/sanitary) meal. The locals won’t keep coming back if the food was gross and gave them the runs.

In California (and elsewhere) there is what I will call the “Taco Truck Corollary” that should be fairly obvious. I like to keep an eye out for where taco trucks park near work and home. When I see that a particular truck parks in the same place repeatedly and is consistently surrounded by dirty-handed, hard-working, blue-collar Latinos grabbing a meal, I add it to my list of places to get food.

I have yet to be disappointed with the results of this technique. I’ve had many good $5 meals, and not once have I gotten food poisoning or even an upset stomach. In fact, I’ve had far more sickness after eating at chains than any rolling “roach coach”. It’s simple, tasty food made by people who are truly invested in its quality (it’s their livelihood).

Hooray for taco trucks!