anyway, on to the nostalgia. as we had some tito's tacos yesterday while we were watching the game that shall remain nameless, it reminded me that we here at pbe have never done a write up on this so-cal institution.
mecca
in business at (almost) the same location in culver city since the 60s, tito's tacos has a short menu - hard shell tacos, burritos, rice and beans - and long lines. there's also some other stuff, like tamales, on the menu, but don't waste your time. you cannot drive by tito's on a weekend and not see the four lines at the front window stretched all the way to the curb. it's definitely not fancy and some people would say they're not even real tacos (ahem, bandini), but i beg to differ on that last point...and the people keeping the lines long would probably tend to agree with me. these tacos really hit the spot sometimes, especially if you grew up with them. they haven't changed since i've been eating them (and that's basically since i was in utero). i'm sure doodles and mooncrazy would agree with that assertion. in fact, when doodles comes to town, it's the first place we stop on the way home from the airport!
tacos in situ
the best part about tito's, though, is the salsa. it's nothing fancy, but the flavor is great, with tomatoes, onions and jalepenos chopped really fine (probably milled?), and the tacos just aren't complete without them.
salsa and beans
and it really is a so-cal experience. in fact, i'm sure huell howser's done a show on it! you'll see all types of people in line: old people, young people, rich people, poor people, black, white, asian, hispanic, you name it...everyone comes to tito's and they all want the same two things: to eat a taco and for the person in front of them in line not to have a big order!
