Starbucks 'Trenta': How The New Size Compares To Your Stomach
Famous Death Row Last Meals
 |
| Chorizo tacos at Austin's Arandas #3. Photo: Jessica S. Ralat |
6. Austin's Arandinas (suggested by Slashfoodies Lacey and LP) pork taco vs. Brooklyn's Matamoros cabeza taco:
Arandinas' juicy, eminently scarfable pork taco went head-to-head with Matamoros', uh, cow head -- and triumphed.
Winner: Arandinas, Austin.
5. Austin's Mi Madre's Restaurant (suggested by Jodi and others) Pork Adobado vs. Brooklyn's Matamoros Enchilada taco:
Anticipating a chili steam engine from this red-sauced breakfast taco, we instead found spiceless goop in a flour shell ill-matched to its flurry of onions and avocado slices. The slightly spicy red enchilada taco at Matamoros is still the one we hold dear.
Winner: Matamoros, Brooklyn
Four more, including the winner, after the jump.
4. Austin's Maria's Taco Xpress carne guisada vs. Brooklyn's Matamoros' lengua:
One Austinite noted of Maria's, "It's not just the same since the move." Perhaps this is true; the dry steak left this writer's stomach unsettled, and was the antithesis to the soft lengua (it's tongue, but its texture is velvety) taco at Matamoros.
Winner: Matamoros, Brooklyn
3. Austin: Barbacoa at La Tapatia vs. Brooklyn's Nameless Taco Shack's barbacoa:
The warm stewed threads of beef barbacoa (usually cheek meat) with a spritz of lime were a welcome surprise, rivaling Brooklyn's stewed goat tacos. This one was close, but Brooklyn's offering was brightened by both cilantro and lime.
Winner: Nameless Taco Shack, Brooklyn
2. Austin: Fideo and Bean at Porfirio's Tacos vs. Squash Blossom tacos at Brooklyn's Gan Eden Café:
"Fideo," which means "noodles," here took the form of rice vermicelli paired with refried beans and a basic pico de gallo. Squash blossoms at Brooklyn's Gan Eden are likewise unusual, fried until clumped together. While both tacos are admittedly a bit odd, Porfirio's Tacos' crimson salsa had, to us, a hint of Chef Boyardee.
Winner: Gan Eden Café, Brooklyn
1. Austin: Chorizo at Aranadas #3 (recommended by URwhatUEat and Christina) vs. chorizo at Brooklyn's Matamoros:
Thank goodness for these Slashfoodie suggestions. Arandas #3 delivered precisely the flavor we've been searching for! The chorizo was salty, juicy, and piquant, and sprinkled with Sunset Park's ubiquitous onions and cilantro. This taco lover downed multiples.
Winner: Arandas #3, Austin, in a heartbeat.
Any more we missed? School us in the comments.
Jane Seymour's Modest And Modern Style
Broke Stars: 11 Celebrities Who Went Bankrupt
LOOK: Amazing Underwater Photos Of Dogs
Adele Five-Year Break? Singer Plans to Focus on Relationship, Write 'Happy Record'
Social Security Is Failing Even Faster Than We Thought
PHOTOS: How You Can Get The 'Miracle' Dress
Man Says Starbucks Discriminated Against Him Because He Has Half An Arm
Chris Brown, Grammys 2012: Embattled Singer Slams Critics
Janice Dickinson's Outrageous Style
Ford's clever Sports Illustrated Swimsuit ad features phantom model
Trace Adkins Reunites With College Crush, 30 Years Later
Photos Of Dead Lacrosse Player's Injured Body Shown To Jury
3 Economic Misconceptions That Need to Die
Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video)
PHOTOS: Model Falls At Dennis Basso Show
'Hooker Teacher' Forced To Resign, Now Can't Find Work
Lauren Scruggs Goes On Ski Vacation
WATCH AND LAUGH: Cops In 2-Hour Standoff With Empty Car
Woman's Dead Fiance Is Behind Her Disappearance: Cops
Stephen Wiltshire Draws Cities From Memory
We Meant There WERE Nukes In The Fire
7-23-2009 @7:44PM C(h)ristine said... Seriously? You're pitting Austin against...Brooklyn for tacos?
Throw San Diego or Los Angeles into that mix!
Reply
7-24-2009 @1:09AM samantha said... I live in Austin and though I love my city, sorry. San Antonio OBVIOUSLY has the best tacos (other than Mexico). Taco Taco Cafe is AMAZING. But if we're talking Austin tacos...the places you mentioned are hardly representative samples. Some other places: Curra's, Screaming Goat, Juan in a Million, Guero's, Taco Xpress...
Oh, and C(h)ristine is so right. Brooklyn cannot even hold a candle to Texas in the taco department.
Reply
7-24-2009 @1:10AM GL said... Chicago tacos. Hands down.
Reply
7-24-2009 @1:11AM RS said... Sorry, if you're going to try tacos, you need to try places where it's a common thing and Brooklyn isn't one of them. You need to try tacos in California and Texas, that's it. If you want to try tacos in Texas, you can't leave out San Antonio, they have some amazing Tex-Mex and Mexican food there. But it seems to me that you're just plainly biased and won't accept that your beloved Brooklyn joints aren't the best when in fact they probably aren't even close. Moreover, you seem to be pretty close minded when it comes to Tex-Mex, and locked in on what you perceive to be "authentic", which makes no sense when you take a bit of time to think about it.
Reply
7-24-2009 @1:11AM meeno01 said... a taco conversation without including socal is not legitimate, especially one that includes brooklyn as a taco haven
Reply
7-24-2009 @8:25AM Accumbens said... For breakfast tacos, Las Manitas.
Also, echoing the above comment - Curra's (do separate tests for breakfast and non-breakfast tacos, they both rock) and Geuro's.
Chango's has some mighty tasty shrimp tacos as well.
You're making this Austin-Nashville transplant mighty hungry!
Reply
7-24-2009 @10:21AM hnewburn said... Tacodeli - Sirloin Fundido
Curra's - Pastor
Torchy's - Trailerpark (trashy style)
Reply
7-24-2009 @10:53AM Redrobin said... Those commenting that Brooklyn couldn't be a haven for tacos have no idea what Brooklyn is. It isn't all delis! Brooklyn is, like all of NYC, hugely culturally diverse. The Sunset Park neighborhood has a very large Latino population who rely on recipes handed down for generations. I am a native Texan, probably twice the age of most submitting comments, and have enough life experience to know that the "best tacos" are not the birth-right of Texas. I have an open mind, and let my taste buds make the judgement, not my ego. I will also admit that I love the fact that the author of this article is willing to admit that Austin is gaining ground. He just needs to taste more tacos. I wish I had his job!
Reply
7-26-2009 @10:14AM Yelorose said... Hello people, the point of the article was that he is from Brooklyn and moved to Austin. Why would he include tacos from CA? And for those of you who say that Brooklyn doesn't know tacos...have you ever been there? NYC is a land of immigrants. Sorry, but I'm more likely to trust a taco lady who moved to Sunset Park from Oaxaca last month over a 20 something who has never been out of Texas any day of the week.
Reply
7-24-2009 @1:53PM Tammy F. said... Torchy's Tacos hands down. Although, very fond of the Al Pastor tacos at Curra's.
Reply
7-24-2009 @3:22PM keanon said... This debate is dumb. SoCal FTW.
Reply
7-24-2009 @7:47PM pimpin said... SoCal definitely has some good tacos. The NW can put up some good tacos as well.
Reply
7-25-2009 @5:10PM philip said... beating a taco from brooklyn is no big deal. see how these stand up against la tacos and we'd have something to talk about. I am from NY so no offense meant, but it's not the place for mexican just like la isn't where you get pizza.
Reply
7-27-2009 @3:55PM ronzo said... No, don't do Gueros... they suck.
TacoDeli, TacoShack maybe, but not Gueros.
Reply
7-27-2009 @11:18PM Ronzo said... No, don't do Gueros... they suck.
TacoDeli, TacoShack maybe, but not Gueros.
Reply
7-27-2009 @4:44PM gergelim38 said... i don't feel your comparisons are fair. Why don't you compare 2 places that offer fideo, rather than 1 squash blossom vs. fideo etc? It doesn't make much sense to me.
Ultimately, I don't care where you find the best tacos to be. However, I feel you've hardly glazed the surface of Austin's taco possibilities.
how about La guera taco truck? or Tacqueria Star?
Reply